Get to Know Your Father and Learn More About You!

Your father is a major part of your part, and yourself, and by understanding him, you can learn a great deal about yourself that you may never have known was there. Finding out what makes your dad tick, that is, about his thoughts, his dreams, feelings, and experiences - can give you a great deal of insight into your own thoughts, dreams, feelings, and experiences.

In fact, by understanding your father, you may learn an important lesson about your own parenting skills or the methods that you will use when you become a parent (if you are not one already). It is incredible how many things that we learn from our parents just by growing up. Even those "terrible" habits that your father had when he was little may be creeping their way into your own life.

So how do you find out all of this mysterious information? That's the best part. It's as simple as spending time with him. Talk to him. Ask questions. Do things together. You'll be surprised at how quickly you start to find things out.

Things may begin slowly, if you're not used to spending much time together, or opening up on any substantial level, but as long as you're patient and are willing to dedicate your time to this journey, communication will become easier and more interesting as you go along.

Begin with the smaller things. Things that are simpler to talk about and don't have any chance of misunderstanding or sense of "prying."

Find out little things such as:

-- What is your father's favorite color?

-- Where would he like to travel one day?

-- Did he have a best friend when he was little? What made that person great?

-- When and how did he get his first car?

None of these questions are unappealing or difficult to discuss, and you may find that your father is eager to talk about them. As you get to know your father's answers to these questions and of questions with a bit more depth that may appear later on in your conversations with him, ask yourself those same questions.

Share your answers with your father if you want to. You might find that the similarities and differences between your answers say a lot about who you are and what influence your father has had in your life, even if he wasn't there for that particular circumstance.

The most pleasant thing about this discovery of self by way of your father is that all of the time you've spent with him can only serve to build upon and solidify your relationship with him. And a strong relationship with a father can only be a good thing in your life.