This is the letter of tribute that Tod's four daughter's wrote about their Mom and Dad.
Their Dad, Tod Parrott was one of my best friends and a business mentor and coach to me.
What They Taught Us: Tod and Peggie’s 26.2 Miles of “Lessons for Life”
(By The Parrott Girls)
Mile 1: Show Up. Mom and Dad were always there. Every sports game, race, wedding, funeral, and more. They always showed up.
Mile 2: Teamwork: Like a sport, Mom and Dad ran our family household by emphasizing that everyone plays a part and has an important role. Each role is vital to the rest of the team. Each of us was vital to the success of the whole.
Mile 3: Be Proactive and Go for It. Use your drive. Dad and Mom always had an incredible vision. For work. For family. And for our futures.
Mile 4: Always Request a Round Table.
Mile 5: Be the First to Say Hello. Never wait for someone else to see you. Be the first to make eye contact, approach, say hello and engage. They first taught this to us when we were the “new kids” on the playground after our move. We still put this life lesson into action as adults.
Mile 6: Laugh. Laugh a lot.
Mile 7: Read. Read a lot.
Mile 8: Be Brave and Be a "Stand Up Gal."
Mile 9: Be Generous. Each of us had the honor of working side by side with Dad on the Bonfire Foundation's mission. We had a front row seat to see his generosity and it's after effects on people and the world.
Mile 10: Never Underestimate the Impact of Any Encounter. Dad flew in to meet Colleen at one of Joe's tournaments. He landed and took a 45 minute cab ride to the golf course. The cabbie had a picture of his daughter on the dashboard; so Dad asked about her. Dad could tell he was a good father. He followed up with the cab driver the next week and gave him a Bonfire application to pass along to his daughter. Bonfire put her through college.
Mile 11: Love. Base everything you do in love. Dad and Mom taught this one by action.
Mile 12: Family First. Family always comes first.
Mile 13: Second Chances. Give them out often.
Mile 14: Embrace the Unknown. Dad and Mom were so brave to move our family across the country. With the foundation of many other life lessons including love, family first, and taking risks, they taught us to embrace the unknown... to not be afraid.
Mile 15: Respect Your Spouse. Mom and Dad had a beautiful mutual respect for each other which was the base for their deep love. 44 full years of love.
Mile 16: Experiences. Mom and Dad gave the best gift - travel. We gained the best education through the experiences on those fun family trips. They took us on the concord and on a cruise through the Panama Canal. We also travelled to Greece, Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Ireland, Scotland, London, France, Germany, Austria, and Costa Rica.
Mile 17: Faith. They taught us to continue to develop ours.
Mile 18: Unshakable Optimism.
Mile 19: Support. For our life choices - incredibly enthusiastic support.
Mile 20: Be True to Yourself
Mile 21: Go the Distance. Ok we are at mile 21. This could be the official "wall" for some people in a marathon. Everything starts to hurt. Dad and Mom taught us to power through and “go the distance.”
Mile 22: Don't Give Up.
Mile 23: Stand Back Up. And if you fall.... Just simply stand back up. Just get back up. Dad had some experiences in his professional life that beat him down. But true to Mom and Dad’s life lesson for us, he learned from from the fall and then he got back up.
Mile 24: Lighten Up. This is a beautiful trait that Kristen and Traci inherited from dad. If one of us got a little too emotional or took life a little too seriously, dad would remind us to lighten up by coming up with one of his clever, witty comments. He often managed to turn our tears of sadness into tears of laughter.
Mile 25: Keep your Heart Big.
Mile 26: Ask for Forgiveness not Permission.
Mile 26.2: Give peanuts in the shells, black licorice, and raw onions a chance (Just a few of Dad's favorites.)
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