Focus Physical Therapy Monthly focuspt.net 949.709.8770
June 2017
Lessons of My Father My Dad’s Persistence, Drive, and Constant Support
M y dad has always been a man of many skills, the kind of person who, when presented with an obstacle, will do everything in his power to learn how to conquer it. His independence, and the sheer determination he applies to everything he does, have had a massive influence on my personality and approach to life, not to mention everything he’s done for my siblings, mom, and me over the years. A long time ago, my father was a family attorney in Argentina. It was a stable career, but he felt compelled to serve his community in a more voluntary role. He had his eye on missionary work and began to feel that he could have a greater positive impact as a hospital administrator. So, he traveled the 5,500 plus miles from his birth country to the U.S. to attend a hospital administration master’s program at Loma Linda University. The missionary work ended up falling through, and it turned out that after working as a hospital administrator for a year, it wasn’t for him. Alongside school, he had started a separate pursuit: flipping houses. The process was pretty straightforward. We’d move into a new house which was usually a bit of a fixer-upper. Then, my dad would improve the home in order to flip it for profit. He studied independently so that he could do the plumbing, tile, drywall, and electrical. The breadth of his knowledge was ever-expanding.
was far from what he loved to do, but he kept at it for eight years, just so he could put us all through school.
Later, he went back into real estate, acquiring a broker’s license and an independent contractor license so he could subcontract out work for his properties. The whole time he kept his multidisciplinary, hands-on approach, never letting anyone else do the work that he had the time and skill to complete himself. My dad has worked harder in his life than almost anyone I’ve met, instilling in me a work ethic that has gotten me to the point I’m at today. My dad’s fiercely independent spirit was a big influence on my decision to open up my own physical therapy practice. Both my parents have been endlessly supportive in everything my siblings and I have chosen to pursue over the years, passing on their innate positivity and can-do attitudes. With June 18 being Father’s Day, I thought I’d keep in the vein of the last issue about my mom and recognize my dad this month. At 72, he’s still going strong. Gratitude is difficult to convey in a one-page article, but I hope he knows just how thankful I am for everything he’s done for all of us in the Manrique family.
With four kids on the steady march to college, the family finances necessitated another change of career for my father. He ended up purchasing and running an automotive dismantling company, of all things, picking parts off cars bought at auction, and selling used cars. This
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- Julian Manrique
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