Day 38..#100happydays #100daysofhappiness
Can
you imagine gifting someone a dozen eggs on their birthday? Don’t be surprised
as I had done just that and to my surprise the reaction was fabulous. It was
for my dad, whose birthday it is today. He would have been 67 years today, an
age I somehow find it hard to imagine. Most folks used to feel that I used to
look exactly like him, though I always wanted to look like Mum. Today everyone
says I look like a replica of Mum and I secretly wish that I have atleast my
Dad’s personality to keep with me. My post today should ideally be a free flow,
but I still struggle. Not because it’s an effort to talk about my dad, but
because in my attempt to capture all his greatness, I do feel challenged. He is
our dad, loved husband, a forever friend and the rock of the extended family.
With him we have earned so much in life and after him lost as well in the form
of relationships, but we have understood, what has stayed with us, is his
legacy and only the best.
For me,
when I look back, I will not claim that he was my hero or my idol. I say this
not in pessimism, but because we were so alike. His endurance, ability to work
tirelessly and be diligent even under tremendous pressure, encourages me to
surprise life itself. He seldom smiled but when he did, he could radiate the
room with his bundle of energy, quick wit and charm that stayed alive in the
memories of men and women. His athletic competence was commendable and always
gave a boost to any sportsmanship I attempted to pursue. An army man, so
fitting I would say that his transition to the business of security almost
seemed seamless. His willingness to help and generosity is something I am yet
to master. His parental instinct defined by a set of rules, often made our
journey mutually enriching, as he learnt new aspects of parenting as we grew
and we were grounded with values and guidelines that he introduced us to. I am positive
that a lot of balance in outlook was a result of my mum’s larger views of the
world, which enabled him to gradually understand the openness in our society.
In my opinion, it was commendable to show willingness to new ideas and change
at any stage in life. A character so rare and hard to find in anyone else I
know.
I can never
forget my 18th birthday at a club with 100 friends (yes 100 friends). His
shock, alertness was beyond our understanding, as he had to first digest my not
so modest outfit followed by the cheer and wishes surrounded by so many boys
and girls. Having said that, he was a disciplinarian and always believed, that
being a father is a parental role and not about being friends. While I learnt
the aspect of discipline from him, I do believe that as parents we can be best
friends to our kids. It’s probably a different ideology but am happy I can
blend my ideas with the ones he has instilled in me. At the stage when children
become friends with parents, I got my best friend in my mum, whose role was
double tasked to play both our mum and dad.
Looking back and thinking of him, I am blessed for being his
daughter and having known him for 18 years of my life. For some it may not seem
long enough, but for me to have just known him and to always remember him for
being there during the most important years of my life, makes our relationship
perfect. So here’s wishing the first and most handsome man in my life a very
happy birthday and look forward to having him in my journey of life always
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