"You don't have to be great... to be good."

This man came to me, very powerfully, in a dream, as
he often does in times where I am confused, or struggling
with the uncertainties of life, or troubled times.

This man is my mentor, my teacher, my leader, my guiding
light of principle and wisdom... and always seems to show up
when I need him most.

This man is my Father.

Donald Llyod Docksteader passed away, (far too soon) at the age of 78, in late 2008.

Th qualities he possessed of kindness, fairness, generosity, and spirit
have stayed with me my entire life.
A man of humble beginnings, he believed strongly in people, and valued
every single person he ever encountered with the same respect he would
share with anyone else.
His famous broad and beaming smile shared equally, and with genuine
enthusiasm, for everyone he met.

He taught me the value of hard work, and that you only get out of life, that which you are prepared to put in.
He taught me the importance of respecting all others no matter what.
He taught me to celebrate diversity and culture, as we were blessed with having
so much of that over the years within our family business.
He taught me the value of leadership, that you could never ask of anyone,
something that you were not prepared to do yourself.
He taught me the value of honesty, integrity, giving back and leading by example.
He taught me the value of family, and the importance of a community of fairness
and equality.

My Dad was not a great scholar.
He went to work right after grade nine.
His post graduation came form the school of hard knocks.
Learning from the seat of his pants, through dedication, and hard work.

His greatest and most powerful lesson.
"Treat (all) people the way you would like to be treated."
No one is better, or more important than you.
His motto stuck with me my whole life.
Because he not only believed it.
He lived it.
Every day.
His entire life.

He taught me to teach my daughter the same thing.
And now that my daughter is about to become a Mother, and me a Grandfather,
we will continue to pass on his wisdom, his beliefs, and his passion for treating all others fairly.

His legacy lives on, and he is always there, reminding me, that no matter what,
the idea of WHAT we do, is so much less important than HOW we do it.

He would look at these troubled times, and in his heart, he would simply say.
"You don't have to be great, to be good"
Being good is more than good enough..

Thank you Dad... for all those valuable lessons... and for always being there.
Our world right now, could use more of your philosophies, leadership,
and whole lot more of your brilliant smile.