I’ve been writing columns for newspapers, magazines and web sites for more than 20 years, and it’s amazing when you create a column that truly strikes a nerve. When I wrote last month about my Dad’s passing and the incredible work ethic he instilled in me, I thought of it as a cathartic experience allowing me to summarize to myself how I felt now that he’s gone. Frankly, I wasn’t too concerned about how readers might react. But the response I’ve received from many of you has been both overwhelming and heart-warming.

Most of the reader emails arrived within a few days of when the column first appeared. But almost every day since, I’ve received another email or even a call from someone who discovered the column and felt compelled to reach out. The bulk of the emails offered both condolences and support, even though only a handful were from people I’d met before. They also shared a common theme, which is how much each person had been affected and molded by their Dads. I especially enjoyed the phone calls in which the caller and I reminisced about our Dads almost as though they were one terrific person who we truly missed.

Since I could never do justice to the many thoughtful messages shared in the reader emails, I thought I’d offer excerpts from a few. I’ve edited them a bit, and I’m sure you’ll find them as inspirational as I did:

“Life is funny how it affords you the luxury of looking back on your parents and how they impacted you through your life. My father, like yours, was a great man who never made the cover of The Wall Street Journal. However, he helped mold and shape the man I am today. My father died in 1993 at the young age of 55. Like your dad, I miss him dearly and I look back with only the fondest of memories.”
– Mike Walton

“My Dad had multiple health problems for most of his adult life, but in the spring of 2000, he began going downhill. I was on a flight for what I thought might be the last time I would see my Dad alive, and I began to reflect on some of the lessons I learned from him [and] I just opened up my laptop and spoke to it. The column I wrote was published online, and it generated the most email of any piece I wrote. Fast forward to today, as I manage a sales team where the inside folks are mostly new grads in need of coaching and mentoring. So where did I go to provide them with a solid foundation in customer-centric consultative sales (my Dad probably couldn’t have even said that, but it was exactly the kind of selling he did)? Of course, I thought of my Dad and the things he taught me. I’ll bet you can just imagine how wonderful it is for me to hear Gen Y’ers saying things I first heard my Dad say when I was 10 years old, then making them work and succeeding.”
- Michael B. Maisel

“Thanks for sharing the story about your Dad. It was very inspirational. What a guy! As for recruiting, I am a big believer in tapping into the wisdom (both life and professional) of our retirees. I hope future hiring managers will see the value too.”
- Judi Nicoletti

“My dad passed away two years ago at 85, and celebrating his life is such a great way to handle the loss. So many lessons are learned from parents and passing them along is incredibly important. My mom turned 93 this week. I’m fortunate that so much of my extended family is so local. We had more than 50 of them stop over for ice cream and cake recently after dinner. I’ve actually started a closed social network for my family, and already have nearly 100 cousins, aunts and uncles actively uploading photos, blogging and hanging out. The youngest is 6 and the oldest is 88. I make the teenagers administrators and that way I get to play too.”
- Gerry Crispin

“You article about your father was heartfelt and wonderful. Thank you. We should all be so fortunate to have had a dad that was such a vital part of our lives and such an inspiration. Neil Armstrong once said, "I believe that each of us is given a finite number of heartbeats, and it is up to us to make the most of each one." Your father was such a man and your article about him was touching. I wish you continued success and agree with you that talent gaps are readily filled by older workers.”
– Russ Jones

“Your Dad is bragging about his son’s story right now. Nicely done.”
– William P. Conroy