Life lessons that my dad taught me

Full disclosure, this article (as the title suggests) will not discuss sports whatsoever. This article will instead focus on a personal healing opportunity for me, and that is to talk about my dad who passed away from esophageal cancer just six months ago. He was such a loyal and dedicated father to me, and he was one of my best friends.

My dad was my rock after my mom’s passing despite his ongoing battle with cancer. I needed him to be there for me during this challenging time in my life, and he was there for me every step of the way despite his decline in health & feelings of fatigue.

I’m forever grateful for the good times and fun experiences that we shared together. Writing about my dad will present quite a challenge for me, but here goes nothing. Without further ado, here are several important life lessons that my dad taught me.

Support the Braves (win or lose)

Braves baseball returned this week, which has got me feeling pretty sentimental as this will be the first season that I will watch the games without my dad being here. He was the Braves No. 1 fan from the time that he was a kid, watching those awful 80s Braves teams that featured Dale Murphy (and not much else) stink it up on TBS. A lifelong dream of his was realized when the Braves won the World Series in 1995. Both of my parents were in attendance for Game 6 of the 1995 World Series, which was the night that Tom Glavine pitched a shutout & got one run from David Justice.

Fast forward several years later, and another young Braves fan was coming of age. My dad and I spent countless hours together watching the Braves on TV, enjoying the games together at the ballpark, and complaining about the team on the phone. We always joked about how the Braves should call us and ask for our opinions on how to manage & improve the team, because we were certainly chock full of ideas.

The two of us frequently attended team autograph and photo sessions, where we met Braves legends like Bobby Cox, Chipper Jones, and Charlie Culberson together. Those fun times were then followed by the Braves winning the World Series in 2021. Against all odds, the team won the championship as we celebrated along with them.

Work hard at everything you do

My dad was always one of the first people to volunteer to get his hands dirty & work. There were times where it seemed like he never stopped working, as he often kept busy by working on his car and attending to various projects in & around the house. He was an inspiration to me in that way as he was a lead by example type of leader.

His passion was in the field of radio as the host of “Classic Gold Country Saturday Night” on WSGC 105.3 FM, where his peers lovingly referred to him as “B-Diddy.” What was most impressive to me about my dad was that he worked just as hard at his day job as he did for his beloved radio show where he was an unpaid volunteer. Research and preparation were essential elements of his radio gig, and he spent countless hours reading books and browsing the internet to produce great shows.

Text me when you get home, will ya?

“Text me when you get home, will ya?” was a phrase given from a father to his sons. My brother and I lived far away from our dad during the later years of his life, so any time that we were headed out from his house he would say this and hug us goodbye. This act of care that my dad expressed made me feel reassured as I traveled home.

Brian Deakin was all about preparation and safety in virtually all aspects of his life. There were jokes at the time of his passing about God hiring a new safety manager. Yes, being the safety guy was his job, and he took it seriously at work and at home.

Tough times don’t last, tough people do

Watching my dad’s lengthy battle esophogeal cancer made me realize this key fact. He handled it all with such grace, never once complaining even at his lowest points. Despite losing a substantial amount of weight and struggling with fatigue on a daily basis, he still managed to spend time with his family, go to work, and attend church.

Faith carried my dad through this time, as his relationship with God strengthened. His family and friends witnessed his struggles, and yet he wasn’t afraid of adversity. A quote from Sylvester Stallone in the movie Rocky motivated him, “it’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” Everyone can learn from Brian’s story, as it’s a testament and an inspiration to all.