My Dad is my hero. His given name is Paul B. Lowry… he told me the “B” stood for “big” and I believed him… until snooping through his cufflink case I found his birth certificate and discovered it actually stood for Beverly. Wanna make your Dad squirm…call him Beverly, especially in front of people!  He had a face full of freckles topped with Bozo the clown fire engine red curls. We were two peas in a pod and proper name aside, I only ever called him Pinky and he only ever called me Patrick (his little Saint).

Pinky skipped to the beat of a very different drum.  He set the ultimate example of endurance, resilience and individualism with a spirit for joy that was contagious.  He stood for the very thing I strive to be everyday – someone who is authentic to their core and comfortable in their own shoes – no matter how different they are.

He made me believe that being unusual, uncommon, and eccentric was incredibly rare and special and something he encouraged and fostered in me for as long as I can remember.  He taught me there is no greater gift than your imagination and it in itself can manifest the most impossible and magnificent realities.  And so be it.  The faeries that lived in our chandelier were real, animals do speak, the wind has a heartbeat, colours had a taste, singing is an emotion, words can move mountains and magic absolutely exists.

Pinky was part man and part child.  He was our family’s provider and our playmate.  He was his own man – tired and true and you never had to guess how Pinky felt about anything – he called a spade a spade.  He was lit with a sparkle in his eyes, a devilish smirk and an insatiable desire to tease and to play tricks.

Pinky taught me to be me.  He taught me that you can’t keep a Lowry down and a Lowry never gives up.  He taught me to look closely, to see the beauty that surrounds us – because life can be tough – but there is always something magical to balance it out. He taught me to always believe.  I am my father’s daughter and darn proud to be it.

Here are Pinky’s top 11 Rules to Rebel by:

1. Be a cherub on the outside and a mad trickster on the inside.

2. Talk to all animals and bugs. Make eye contact. Wink. Let them sniff you and return the courtesy. Name each and every critter and creature you meet…it puts you on a first name basis.

3. Every single thing in nature has a spirit and soul. Respect it.

4. Learn to swim…it will come in handy when you are drowning. (He use to call me The Mermaid)

5. When all else fails – eat your favourite comfort food. (His were a cold tin of beans with chopped up wieners and cheesies on the side to dip in).

6. Always be prepared to “scardiate” someone…(Defn: intensely hilarious, immature, well thought out acts causing a total out of body frightful freak-out).

7. Screw caring about what anyone else thinks. Own your Silly Billy, be a super freak, wear your Clan of the Cave Bear outfit, bunny ears, sing at the top of your lungs in the mall, believe in Santa, The Easter Bunny and everything you can’t actually see.

8. Always take the dare. Hence the expression….”never dare a Lowry”. Covet adventure.

9. Be bravely free! Rant and rave about everything. If you don’t know something – make it up.

10. Your imagination is your greatest super power. See words as if they were pictures. Listen to the silence. Touch emotions. Taste the elements and smell colours.

11. You are never alone. The faeries are always with you.