My uncle Joel was the wisest person I think I ever knew. He knew about people. He understood their motivations and wasn’t afraid to challenge them. His advice: Keep you mouth shut and your ears open. Not so easy when you have a big mouth like me. He read nearly a book a day. There was virtually no topic of which he didn’t know something.
He was typically the smartest person in the room which was hard for him because my aunt struggled with that same problem. And so they fought… a lot… until they didn’t.
Uncle Joel taught me to challenge people when I thought they were wrong.
He taught me about generosity.
He taught me about humility.
He taught me about the difference between family and relatives.
He loved me!