Lessons from My Father
LESSONSFrom My Father
Family + Friends
Katherine Schwarzenegger
By Katherine Schwarzenegger
You know him as a world champion bodybuilder, an international movie star, and the California Governor. But to me, he’s Daddy -- and I want to honor him this Father’s Day by writing about what he means to me.
Of course, being the daughter of such an iconic, intelligent, stereotype-busting, risk-taking, high-achieving man as my Arnold Schwarzenegger means I’ve been privileged to have many extraordinary adventures and experiences in my life. But to tell you the truth, it’s the lessons I’ve learned from him that I hold even more precious.
In so many ways, he’s like every other Dad: loving, supportive, and sometimes challenging. That’s today. But when I was younger and he was away on movie sets so much of the time, I didn’t feel close to him. Instead, I regarded him as a superhuman kind of guy out there, doing great things. After all, none of the other kids had a father who had all the people screaming out his name when we went out for ice cream. That was fun, but there was a downside: When I was little and he’d come home from the studio still in full Terminator makeup, I’d be terrified and would run away.
Since my father became governor, though, we’ve grown much closer, and it’s not just because he’s home more. I’ve been amazed to watch him handle his new career, the new relationships he’s forged, and the new expectations the public has of him. Watching my father, talking to
Of course, being the daughter of such an iconic, intelligent, stereotype-busting, risk-taking, high-achieving man as my Arnold Schwarzenegger means I’ve been privileged to have many extraordinary adventures and experiences in my life. But to tell you the truth, it’s the lessons I’ve learned from him that I hold even more precious.
In so many ways, he’s like every other Dad: loving, supportive, and sometimes challenging. That’s today. But when I was younger and he was away on movie sets so much of the time, I didn’t feel close to him. Instead, I regarded him as a superhuman kind of guy out there, doing great things. After all, none of the other kids had a father who had all the people screaming out his name when we went out for ice cream. That was fun, but there was a downside: When I was little and he’d come home from the studio still in full Terminator makeup, I’d be terrified and would run away.
Since my father became governor, though, we’ve grown much closer, and it’s not just because he’s home more. I’ve been amazed to watch him handle his new career, the new relationships he’s forged, and the new expectations the public has of him. Watching my father, talking to