Papa’s Pearls is written by homeschooling mom, alternative education specialist, parenting coach, and author, Diane Flynn Keith. She lets us in on the wisdom her father (Papa) passed on to her and their family. She was always sharing his pearls of wisdom with everyone around her, and she was encouraged to write a book about them.
Papa’s Pearls: A Father’s Gift of Love and Wisdom to His Children and Grandchildren shares the life of Carol Joseph Flynn who grew up during the Great Depression and life lessons he learned by truly living them, and all of his family members took notice. He didn’t just give them words of wisdom, he gave them unconditional love and lived by example. Not only that, but he did confirm his love every chance he got by saying “I love you. You know that, right?” This is just one of Papa’s pearls shared. Here are a few others:
- “Everyone Deserves a Second Chance.”
- “Ya Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do.”
- “Get it in Writing!”
- “Be Grateful Every Day!”
The pearls and stories shared ranged from street smarts/common sense, business/financial advice, love, faith, etc. Papa was an example of a man who truly lived life to the fullest and encouraged everyone around him to do the same – even those that weren’t in his family! He respected others and gave to others while still respecting himself and not letting people walk all over you. He lived in that perfect balance. For me, I found Papa’s Pearls wasn’t appropriate to read to our kids since they are all young (our oldest just turned 7), but I learned a lot from reading Papa’s Pearls and was inspired. I felt like I really got to “know” Papa and could almost picture him by the time I finished read the book, and his “pearls” are definitely things I will be putting into action and passing them onto our kids! Kids NEED to know they are loved unconditionally, they need hugs, they need to learn financial responsibility, they need to learn independence, and Papa knew how important all of that was. There were stories in Papa’s Pearls made me laugh out loud and there were stories that made me tear up. I don’t have what Diane had with her father, but I love that she shared what he gave her because EVERYBODY can start somewhere even if they didn’t have that. Papa didn’t even have the best start in life, but that didn’t keep him from becoming a man of character who loved God and his family. It truly was an inspiration to read.
With only 108 pages it is also a quick read. So, if you are thinking you don’t have time to read another book, this is definitely one you can fit in. I noticed, too, I would get so into the stories I would just keep reading, and I read it in only three sittings. My only caution is that there are a couple of expletives – one probably considered more offensive than the other – near the end of the book in a quote, so if you choose to read the book out loud to your children or have your children read the book you may want to be aware of that.
Overall, I am glad I had the opportunity to read Papa’s Pearls and will definitely be implementing some of his advice as well as sharing it with our children! You can purchase an autographed copy of Papa’s Pearls from Homefires for $21.97 (includes shipping). For more reviews of Papa’s Pearls from the Schoolhouse Review Crew click on the banner below!
