Father knows best

17 steps to a happy life. But really, 4. OK, maybe 5. Or else, maybe just open and read? Also: 7 other things worth your time!

I called my dad last night.

“Hey Dad,” I said. “I need a favor.”

Well, not really a favor, exactly, but I want to run something by you. Remember a few years back you emailed me, and I wrote that article about “17 bits of advice from my dad?” Would you mind if I used it for the newsletter?

“Seventeen?” my dad said. “No, there were four. ‘Four steps to a happy life.’ The 17 was your idea.”

“Are you sure?” I quickly pulled up the article from seven years ago as he talked.

“Yes,” he continued. “There were four.”

He rattled them off. (This is me paraphrasing; I didn’t take notes but I’m pretty sure I got it right):

1. Get out of bed in the morning. Recognize that everyone makes mistakes, and everyone gets a new chance at making things right. It’s a new day; you don’t have to repeat what you did yesterday.

2. Spend as much time as you can with the people you love. But also, love everyone. Show respect, even to those who make it difficult. In the words of Thomas Merton, "Love is our true destiny. We do…