Father`s Day 2013: My Dad, my hero!

Nobody can compete with the super-power of a father!

Who is a father? A father is probably one of the most important persons in everybody’s life – apart from mothers. When I sit back and think about the mysterious ways in which God works, I am completely spellbound by the sheer intricacy with which everything is weaved. Yet, the intricacy seems very simple and easily understandable as time passes.

When I was a kid – an extremely difficult child to handle with too many tantrums – I remember feeling terrified of my father all the time. Frankly speaking, I never felt scared of my mother no matter how strict she was, but the moment I would see my dad’s face turn red with anger, I knew it was time to go into hibernation. Despite all the scolding, the bickering, the drama and the arguments, I have always considered my dad my BFF. A father plays a very very important role when it comes to his children. Personally, for me, getting to spend time with my father is probably the best thing for me in the world. To hell with late night parties and sleepovers... when I have my dad by my side, I don’t need anything else. As time passed and I had to leave home to pursue higher studies, things seemed to have changed. The newly-found freedom got into my head and I kind of ignored my entire family for a very long time as I was totally on my own. I clearly remember my parents getting extremely miffed with me for not being able to spare even 5 minutes in a day to ask how they were, and to tell the truth, I found it extremely amusing and at the same time annoying, because I felt my freedom was being hindered. It has been 7 years since I have been away from home, but I have somehow taken a U-turn and gone back to being what I really was before I left home and became a free bird. Staying away from my loved ones – my father, especially – made me realise how important it is to have somebody you can blindly trust without even thinking about anything. A father is undoubtedly the best guide a child can have – that too right at home. Sadly, most kids take their fathers for granted, regarding their advices to be completely useless. It is not just a saying that it is very important for a child to have a father in his life, it is indeed a proven fact. I often ask people for advice on almost every matter, but I truly follow the advice given by my father because I know my dad’s words will be more precious than that of any counsellor with the highest degree in his vocation. Judging by what I have written till now, do not think that I am the perfect daughter who always follows her father’s advice. I have indeed many a times gone against the wishes of my father and done things that I shouldn’t have and in the end regretted it all. But in the end, my father has always been there – as strong as a pillar – to tell me that every dark cloud has a silver lining. Sleeping pills and psychiatrists help people relieve their stress and relax. Really? Why don’t you try sharing your problem with your father, listening to his advice and doing what he says? Trust me, you won’t regret this move. As for me, it works each time and no matter how many sleepless nights I might have spent thinking about a problem, the moment my dad gets involved in it, I know things will get better. The concept of Father’s Day –which was introduced to complement Mother’s Day – may be new, but nobody can refute the fact that a father has been placed at the highest pedestal in a family for a reason. Even Indian epics like Ramayana have examples of fathers being placed only next to God. Ram agrees to give up all the luxuries of life and go to exile for 14 years just to honour his father Dasarath`s word to his third wife Kaikeyi. In the Mahabharata, Puru swaps his youth with his aged father Yayati to repay him for all that he had done for him. Debabrata – who later became Bhishma – gave up his kingdom and swore to celibacy for life to allow his father to remarry. These were legendary people; when it comes to mortals like us, our fathers are like our heroes. Leave aside all your Spidermans, Supermans and Batmans, nobody can compete with the super-power a father is endowed with. The concept of Father’s Day is a good one to celebrate the greatness of our fathers. But why do we need one day to celebrate fatherhood? Why not each day? Imagine how wonderful life will be when we start making our fathers feel special every day just like they make us feel every hour of the day. Fathers toil all day long not for themselves but so that their children can have a better future and have every single thing that their own childhoods lacked. Respect your father and love him – and watch how your life becomes better!