As the only daughter of a first generation Italian immigrant, I was raised with a solid mix of parental adoration and the impression that I would never be good enough. Those of you who grew up in European households know the feeling… There is NO excuse for failure and certainly no reason why you can’t do better than literally everyone else in the world. I’m not complaining, honest. Striving to achieve more because my father believed I could, hasn’t hindered my progress in life. In fact, just the opposite. Looking back, however, I can see that while there were many things my father was the authority on, there were also certain instances where I shouldn’t have sweat what he was saying.
Things my father was right about:
1) I shouldn’t eat spaghetti on a date. Okay, to be honest, I shouldn’t eat anything on a date. Notoriously messy, my enjoyment of good food has always surpassed my desire to be attractive.
2) The training wheels had to come off. I could have sworn to you that riding a bicycle was not a skill that every child had to master, but Dad, you were right. It’s come in handy. Thank you for pretending to hold on to the back of my seat the entire time!
3) Every girl should know how to throw a proper punch. Actually my father insisted on more than just that. Though I refused to join tae kwon do with my brother, I was a permanent practice fixture for him. Beyond learning to kick, bite, scratch and scream bloody murder, I also discovered my shoulders are double jointed, giving me quite the advantage in a struggle.
4) Some men aren’t worthy of my love. I’d like to think my father was lucky enough not to have had to deal with too many losers vying for my affection. Those that did dare show their faces, were cut to their soul within minutes of meeting my father. Though completely justified, did you have to berate them in front of me!?
Things my father was wrong about:
1) The amount of makeup that should be worn on a date. A smoky eye look may have been over the top for a movie rental in a basement but… I had to skip dinner to comply with your initial advice so the effort had to be made up somewhere!
2) Hoop earrings make you look promiscuous. It was just a trend! The bigger the better, right?
3) Sleepovers should involve sleeping. Unfortunately Dad, not past the age of sixteen. Sleepovers became an entirely different event. I’m sorry for not being where I said I’d be at 6am. I swear I was there by 7! Xoxo
4) You shouldn’t date until you’re 30. Alright, maybe you were on to something with that… BUT something tells me it was less about ensuring maturity and more about maintaining chastity.
For the wrong, and for the right, thank you Dad. I think you’d be happy to know that I’m still aiming higher, working harder, and cutting through other people’s bullshit on the daily. For the record, I’ve even retired the hoops.
The Zuf Truth 
Love it, your father in a nutshell!!😊 lol