My parents were older when they had me and my sister. Back in the 1970s, most people were having kids in their twenties, but my dad was 42 by the time I was born. By then, he was already a partner in a major accounting firm. He had a big office, everyone called him Mr. Wilson, and in his workplace, he was a big deal.
You wouldn’t know it by looking at him though. My father is a modest man. He never showed off, never flaunted wealth, and preferred a simple life. But I started noticing things around the age of 11 or 12. None of my school friends lived in our neighborhood. Very few had two new cars. Hardly anyone owned a second house or went skiing in winter. Overseas travel was rare too. Later, as a teenager, I discovered that he also owned quite a lot of commercial property that brought in a good amount of rent.
What makes this even more incredible is where he came from. My dad grew up in a working-class family during the Great Depression. His father died during World War II, and he left school early to support his family. He studied part-time at university, slowly working his way up. People often assumed he was a farmer or someone who worked outdoors because he loved spending time outside, but in reality, he spent his career behind an office desk.
As an adult, I came to fully understand the extent of his success. He built a highly successful career and used what he earned to give us an amazing life filled with opportunities and experiences that many of our friends didn’t have. But his greatest success was never measured in money. It was in how he supported and encouraged my sister and me.
He never pressured us or compared us to others. He only asked that we try our best and believed that was enough. That mindset shaped me deeply. I’ve built a successful career too, in a completely different field, and I know his quiet encouragement played a huge role.
He took us skiing and hiking. He helped with homework. He took us to museums and aquariums on weekends. He watched every game, every race, every little moment that mattered to us.
My father is a successful man in every sense. Not just because of what he achieved in his career but because of the kind of father he has always been. At 95, I’m beyond lucky to still have him.
Here’s a recent photo of me with my parents.