Podcast Summary: The Life Lesson I Wish My Dad Had Shared Earlier

Podcast: Kreatures Of Habit Podcast
Host: Michael Chernow
Episode: Monday Moments – December 22, 2025

Episode Overview

In this deeply personal Monday Moments episode, host Michael Chernow reflects on his complicated relationship with his late father, sharing a powerful story and the lessons he wishes he’d learned earlier. Michael dives into memory, forgiveness, and perspective—urging listeners to cherish the good moments, even in relationships marked by struggle or pain.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Challenge of Remembering the Good

• Opening Reflection (00:00 - 02:10)
  • Michael opens by acknowledging the tendency to dwell on negative memories, especially with difficult relationships.
  • He talks about his own challenging relationship with his father and the difficulty in recalling positive memories after years filled with conflict and his father's passing 25 years ago.
  • Quote:

    "Unfortunately, a lot of what we remember is the bad stuff... Not every relationship is meant to be great." (00:05)

2. Facing the Past and Its Pain

• Confronting Loss (02:11 - 03:20)
  • Michael shares he hasn’t visited his father’s grave since his death, even though he’s come to terms with their complex relationship.
  • He expresses a yearning for the kind of father-son connection he never truly experienced.
  • Quote:

    "I wish my father was here. I wish I had a father alive. I do... when he was here, it was really difficult, and we didn't really have a relationship." (02:55)

3. The Power of a Good Memory

• A Story from the Past (03:21 - 08:36)
  • Michael recounts a vivid memory: returning home from LA during Christmas in 2000, mere weeks before his father died.
  • At a Chinese restaurant, his father asked, “Can you cry on the spot?” He then demonstrated, breaking down into tears—a wordless attempt to show care, emotion, and perhaps love.
  • Quote:

    "My father looked at me and he put his head down... and then... he was, he was like hysterical crying." (06:28)

  • Michael later recognized this moment as his father trying to express love and emotion, despite never having the tools to do so directly.
  • Quote:

    "He had so much pent-up emotion... he could tap into it at any moment. And he was trying to tell me that he loved me in that moment." (07:26)

4. The Lesson: Choose to Remember the Good

• Moral & Takeaway (08:37 - End)
  • Michael encourages listeners to consciously seek out and nurture positive memories from troubled relationships instead of dwelling on pain.
  • He reflects on his commitment to remember and cherish the good times, suggesting that this act can help commemorate relationships with ups and downs, especially after a loved one is gone.
  • Quote:

    "It makes way more sense to remember the good times than to harbor the bad times in relationships. Especially if someone's gone." (09:30)

  • He invites listeners to write down positive memories with people they've struggled with, preventing the past from being seen as entirely negative.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Relationship Complexity:

  "Not every relationship is meant to be great. Not every relationship is going to work out. Sometimes, we were born into relationships that are super challenging." (01:20)

• On Regret & Reflection:

  "My father never saw me sober, my father never saw me in business, my father never saw me as a father... if my dad was here he would be proud." (04:52)

• The Emotional Chinese Restaurant Moment:

  "Can you cry on the spot?... and then he... was like hysterical crying... Now looking back... he was trying to tell me that he loved me in that moment." (06:10–07:38)

• On Healing Through Memories:

  "It doesn't make sense for me to harp on the things that were not awesome, like, what is that going to do for me? Nothing." (10:23) "Thinking about the good times and really trying to dig those up and highlight those and cherish those—that's the way you commemorate a relationship that had ups and downs." (10:44)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Opening Thoughts on Relationship Challenges: 00:00 – 02:10
• Reflection on His Father’s Passing: 02:11 – 03:20
• Story of the Final Shared Meal: 03:21 – 08:36
• Processing the Unspoken Message: 07:00 – 08:36
• Takeaway: Focusing on the Good: 08:37 – End

Tone & Style

Michael speaks candidly and emotionally, conveying vulnerability, regret, and hope throughout the episode. The somber tone is balanced by an optimistic message, encouraging growth and healing.

Final Reflection

In this Monday Moments edition, Michael Chernow invites listeners to revisit their own difficult relationships, searching for—and cherishing—the moments of connection. By sharing his own story of loss and belated understanding, he encourages others to let the good memories provide healing, especially when the chance for reconciliation is gone.

“I’m doing my best to remember the good times, and I hope you do too.” (Final words, ~12:15)