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I hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend. I had a great weekend spending time with family and friends. Thank you to everyone who works hard and makes our country what it is today. Whether a union member or non-union member, a professional or non-professional - we all do our job to keep our country going strong.
Chad Painting a corn crib with his Dad. Chad is on the ladder.
Hard work is the foundation for success - and I am glad I had a father who taught me what it means to work hard. He taught me first hand as I worked for him in our family painting business -- "Ritchie's Painting Service, Inc." My Dad was a farmer his whole life. When I was in 5th grade my Dad started his own painting business as well. We painted barns, sheds, houses, grain elevators, and other commercial buildings. I worked for my Dad's painting business every summer from the time I was in 5th grade - all the way through college. I even came back to paint the summer before I went to law school.
Chad painting a shed roof. Chad is on the roof to the left.
At 10 years old, I started mixing paint buckets and moving ladders so my Dad could keep painting without having to stop. At the ripe old age of 16 - I was in charge of my own paint crew and drove the old bucket truck to jobs myself.
It was hard work -- we painted through terribly hot days and came home physically exhausted - but I wouldn't trade those days for anything. Being able to work with my Dad and learn from him what it means to have a strong work ethic was priceless . . . and something I will never forget. I do miss those days on the paint truck. If I hadn't become an attorney - I would probably have my own painting business now. Thank you to my Dad who taught me how to work hard. He taught me grit - which according to this article - is the #1 thing you can teach your kids so they are successful in school and in life.
Thanks to all of you who work hard everyday. Happy Labor Day.
Note: An earlier version of this story appeared in a holiday email from Chad in 2015.
This article is a service of Attorney Chad A. Ritchie and the Ritchie Law Office, Ltd.
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