The Man Who Is My 24*7
Dad, I APPRECIATE you.
I call him my best friend with whom I can load up on my secrets.
I call him the villain of my life for arguing with me always. But he is forever my first line of defense against any trouble I face.
I call him a superhero for he is who I turn up to, for anything and everything.
I call him, D-A-D, for being an amazing mixture package and my solid rock support !
This is a very heartfelt rant about my old man, who has taught me the ethics of life.
My dad is a very simple, white haired humorous guy with a big mustache. I am very proud to say that he is a humble Mechanical Engineer with over 30 years of experience and currently working in an Executive position at an oil refinery in Kuwait. Sturdy on the outside, he always emanates a look which commands everyone around, to treat him with respect for his golden age and wise experience.
From the time I was born, he had showered mammoth-level of affection on me and I do not see a single drop in the levels on the affection meter. When I was little, he always cuddled me like a koala bear and I remember having slept on him like a sloth during his lunch hours at home.
“It was my father who taught me to value myself.” — Dawn French
I had always undermined his value most of the time. Never realised that there was so much wisdom in those precious times he had told me to learn a new language (Hindi-in this case) during schooldays. I always retorted back saying that I was never going to be in the need for one and never took him seriously. That was one timely advice that I had ignored but regret so much until now.
As Dr. James Dobson had rightly said, “A good father will leave his imprint on his daughter for the rest of her life.”
He always counted the pennies and let me know about each and every coin spent on me. He taught me gently that the only way to earn a single coin, is through lots of hard work. Based on his childhood history, I knew that he had faced a lot of hardships including cycling a long distance for attending school and for mandatorily helping out with household chores when he was little. He always told these stories of how he had struggled hard to climb up the success ladder in life, in order to be an inspiration for us. Rather, I always, always, mocked him for reciting his classic stories. Little did I know, that those were precious stories to be cherished and to be passed on forth.
“A father is a man who expects his children to be as good as he meant to be.”-Carol Coats
My father also taught me the value of the priceless virtue called ‘humility’ through his humble nature with his work colleagues. Honestly, I admit that I was not aware of the respectable position he held at work, until I had joined as a trainee in a company where he had worked. It was only through my work colleagues, I had learned that he was a brutally humble and genuinely helpful person at work.
He was a selflessly caring individual. He would pay very less attention to how he dressed or what he bought for himself. Rather, all that he ever thought of all the time was on ‘how to give our family a more comfortable life’. That was his lifetime slogan.
Antoine Francois Prevost had said, “The heart of a father is a masterpiece of nature.”
His helping tendency sits on an escalated ladder which reaches up to the sky. He has always been around to help our near and dear ones financially, emotionally and morally during all times. He has always been there for ferrying my friend and me from my French classes. Never once made a face for buying me additional snacks that I would take back to distribute to all my hostel buddies after a vacation. Nor has he ever missed an attempt to put a smile on my face at anytime in life.
“My dad’s my best mate and he will always be.” said Cher Lloyd.
He has faced every adverse situation with immense honesty and terse boldness. My utmost respect for him profoundly grew ten fold when he stepped in to take up the additional role of my mother, after we lost her to illness, a couple of years ago. The way that he beautifully morphed into my mother’s shoes has left an everlasting impression on my heart. Only afterwards, I started confiding about my misgivings to him and learnt that he is also a good secret-keeper. Also lately, I happened to hear him boasting about me to my relatives behind my back. This gives me a motivational boost to soar up to greater heights.
“A good father is one who is the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” -Billy Graham
Although I have always been reluctant in expressing my emotions completely with him, this Father’s day, I gift my Daddy dearest, the greatest gift of penning down my thoughts on the fantabulous role that he has always played in my life for making me a better person. Words would not suffice to explain all the countless incidents where he had taken up diverse roles as a warrior for the family during tough times, a doting husband, a delightful father and the most whimsical role of a grandfather!
I love my Dad for being the best always ! He will be my eternal epitome of morality, courage, identity and wisdom in life. For everyone out there, embrace your father and emphasize on how much they mean to you!
