Last year, the school year was coming to an end, and my mom approached me with the most horrifying idea she has ever had. She said to me, “You have to get a job this summer.” I was mortified. How was I supposed to binge watch all my favorite TV shows that I have already seen three times? Then, my dad stepped in and said I could just work with him this summer. My dad is a furniture installer so my initial reaction was what the heck? I mean, I  didn’t even know how to hold a drill, let alone build a desk. This is what started the summer where I learned not only how to build a desk but also learned life lessons I will never forget. 

Be Kind to Everyone

I still remember my first day. As we walked into the warehouse, my dad said good morning to everyone we passed. He knew everyone by name and made sure he acknowledged everyone. This brings me to the first thing I learned this summer: be kind to everyone. Throughout the summer, my dad and I faced many frustrating projects, but my dad always remained polite and patient. He never lost his cool and always remained kind to everyone we worked with. 

One instance where this stood out to me was during our first project. The lead designer wanted her desk done first, but the electrical wires had not been put in yet, so we could not build anything. About every hour, she would go up to my dad and ask if it was done, and every time, my dad would very kindly tell her why it was not done. Even though that was probably very frustrating for him, he remained poised and professional. 

Another thing that stood out to me was how kind he is to everyone, even the people he does not like. From a young age, my dad always tried to implement this lesson. I do not think I fully grasped what it truly meant until I saw how my dad lived out this common lesson at work. One day, my dad briefly mentioned something about him disliking someone we worked with. I was taken aback because I had no idea; every time we interacted with this person, he was just the same as any other interaction with a coworker. This took being kind to everyone to a whole new level for me. 

Never be Afraid to ask for Help

This is something my dad is really big on. Ever since I was young, my dad has made an emphasis on telling my brother and I to ask for help if we need it.  He has told me stories about one guy he worked with that instead of asking for help, he would just throw parts away if he did not know what to do with something. When I started working this summer, he made sure that I knew I had a lot to learn and to not let that intimidate me. 

One day this summer, my dad and I were working at a school with two other guys. One of the things we had to build a lot of was teacher desks. Teacher desks are a little more complicated than regular desks and the employees build a lot more regular desks than teacher desks. So, my dad was assigning jobs to all of us, and he assigned one of the guys, Richard, to build the teacher desks. Richard had been installing furniture for a little over a year at this point, but it had been awhile since he had built teacher desks. Richard took the job and figured he would just remember how to do it, so we all set off to work.

A little while later, Richard came to find my dad while we were working. He very bravely admitted that he had forgotten how to build the teacher desks and asked for help. After that, my dad wasted no time and left me to go help Richard. What I really admired about this whole interaction was that Richard was not afraid to ask for help, and my dad did not make fun of him for not remembering how to do something. A lot of people today are quick to make fun of someone rather than quick to help someone. Seeing my dad interact with Richard this way helped remind me that it is okay to ask for help. 

Never Take Anything for Granted

This last lesson I learned is actually from one of my dad’s coworkers. One day, about halfway through the summer, we were having a slow day where we were loading up trucks to drop off product. Days like this were mostly spent talking about anything and everything. Everyone my dad worked with knew a lot about me, and I knew a little about them from stories my dad told. One of my dad’s coworkers that was always really nice to me was a guy named Clay. Clay was an avid follower of my dad’s Facebook, so he was relatively up to date on my life. I knew this summer I would build a stronger bond with my dad, and many people at work had even joked about me being my dad’s shadow. Clay helped me realize how important this summer actually would be for me.

Clay came over to my dad and I in between trucks and asked me how I was liking this summer. He first joked, like many of my dad’s coworkers, that I probably hated having to work this job. Then Clay had a straight face and became very serious. He told me that I needed to make sure I did not take this summer for granted. He wanted me to understand that I had to cherish all the time I had with my dad. Clay told me that he would do anything to just be able to spend more time with his dad and how lucky I was to be able to spend all that time with him. After hearing this, I quickly changed my outlook on this summer and decided, from then on, I would be grateful for every day I got to go to work.

This summer not only taught me how to build a desk but also how to be a better person. When my mom first told me to get a job, I was upset. Now, I am forever grateful that I got this opportunity to spend the summer with my dad. This summer had a huge impact on who I am now, and I cannot wait to be able to go back next year.