1. Have an Interesting Snippet to Share : Click Here
    Dismiss Notice

Celebrating My Father

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by ShailRaghuvansh, Jun 23, 2010.

  1. ShailRaghuvansh

    ShailRaghuvansh Silver IL'ite

    Messages:
    436
    Likes Received:
    78
    Trophy Points:
    70
    Gender:
    Female
    I remember that curly haired man always surrounded by friends. I relish with fondness the special moments shared with him in CubbonPark in the toy train as I gleefully munched away on the popcorn that he religiously bought for me every Sunday – a toy train luxury for me every inch of him. I tried hard to keep him happy just to hear him praise me before friends! How could I forget the tasty MTR idlis! So many more joyful memories rush through my brain all jostling to express themselves even as I lay back and warm myself in happy mundane childhood reminiscences of the past. Today, that thick tuft of hair on my father’s head has turned to a withering grey. The joy for life has lessened but his eyes still glisten when he recalls the earlier days.

    The first man in my life, my father was my role model. I admired

    “That’s my daughter,” he would proudly say.

    How much pleasure those words gave me then. Even now, in spite of the long passage of years I still feel good when he introduces me to his neighbors or the odd friend or relative with that slickly hidden compliment. It was his high expectation of me that goaded me to ‘do well all that I did.’ The fact that I resembled him physically gave me all the more reason to be proud of being his daughter. The chip of the old block you see! As I grew up into a tomboy in my teens, I rebelled often. There were many times when I had been shown my bedroom door (thankfully not the house door!) for not abiding by a father’s rules for a growing daughter. I wanted to be everywhere and all at the same time. I wanted to do a host of things. I also had to study. The pressures of high school often led to arguments. Only today, having become a mother myself I realize that all that screwing of my ears was not to nip an over enthusiastic bud but help it to bloom properly.

    My first cycle, my first bike, my first typewriter, and my first day of school – I remember everything with a lot of affection. He taught me to ride a cycle holding on till he felt I was confident enough to let go. I loved the occasional late night parties held in his friend’s houses as I was guaranteed a trip back home on his lap in the driver’s seat at the wheel. Wow! What a thrill it gave me to even assist maneuvering the old Ambassador car and I loved him for it! His heart swelled in pride whenever he related to friends about my first school interview – about how I confidently answered all the questions that the nun had to ask me while a neighbor’s daughter who had come with a recommendation just kept mum and was hastily dismissed.

    “Boys are fine too,” he would often say, “but they have too many rough edges which need chopping off as they begin to grow older whereas girls stay charming always.”

    Like in most households, father was head of the family. What he said was usually, the ‘lakshmanrekha’ we dared not cross. But, his stern front also had that soft heart which he did not always show. That softer side of him revealed itself in the most unexpected of situations. This was visible during the times I fell sick or required any thing from dolls to sketch pens, from movies to a stay-over at a friend’s place. While my mother was very protective about me, my father was all about making me brave and confident. How I loved him for trusting me to take those first independent steps.

    Just as every relationship has its ups and downs so has my relationship with my father. It is a pity that many daughters and fathers fall prey to such situations. There are moments which only a father and a daughter can enjoy. There are times when a daughter can lighten her father’s conflict or sorrow by just listening. Sometimes, the very process of fathering a daughter and earning daily bread can make a father suddenly look up to find his daughter fit to get married. In the same manner, a daughter who adored her father so much when young finds it difficult to get across to him in later years. I have always felt that it is easier for a young person to adjust for his parents. For an elderly person especially a man to become flexible, it is very difficult. Why wait for a death to repent? Why not show your care and appreciation when he is alive?

    It is indeed a very strange relationship- that of a father and a daughter. One moment you are the apple of his eye, the next moment you become the tears that swell within his heart. Today, when Papa, my ‘self made’ father who prided himself in being fit as a fiddle is fiddling with the ailments of ageing years, I am beside him to give him respite. I thank the Almighty for giving me the opportunity and the wisdom to be near him and do even an iota of what he has done all his life for me. Thank you God. Thank you Papa.


    Wishing everyone a Happy Father's Day. Everyday!

    I would love to hear from You, both fathers and children, young and old.:)

    LET'S CELEBRATE FATHERS AND FATHERHOOD TOGETHER!
     
    Loading...

  2. knot2share

    knot2share Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    1,315
    Likes Received:
    161
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Gender:
    Female
    A very happy father's day to all the fathers out there!

    Beautiful post Shail and lovely seeing you here too. So nicely you have expressed those special moments of your life and like you said, everybody will have such moments to look back and reminisce on while reading your post. I want to say so many things but I am not able to. I have gone blank totally. Although I keep accusing my parents for being so selective about the special set of features they both had managed to come up with in me, many many years ago :) (like being too hairy all over, sweating profusely, anger at the tip of my nose, big arms etc etc. I think you get the gist of it na?), I can't help but feel so proud of myself when somebody compliments me saying that I take after my dad (or for that matter after my mum). I have never been a vocal person in expressing my feelings and I think I have taken that after my dad. But I do know that my dad knows how I feel about him and vice versa. During my young days I always used to have this habit of trying to copy somebody else's signature, of course for fun sake! The most easiest used to be my dad's. I loved the way he used to initial some of the office documents and I kept practising on perfecting that. Finally I came up with one for myself (not signature but the abbreviated form). It looked very close to my dad's version with just a curving line going in different direction. One of my dad's colleagues noticed this and he was surprised to see the similarity or the near identical nature. It was not a natural trait that passed from the father to daughter, but I manipulated it because I admire him for every small thing he does. I am proud to say that I still use that style. Another trait that my mum claims that I have taken after dad is the mental strength. I am surprised at this myself because I always thought I was/am weak. But I guess what she meant was when in time of the needful, I behave and do things exactly like how dad does.

    I thnk I have said this before. When my parents were looking for a match for me, like any daughter, me too wished for somebody who would be like my dad. I think it is a natural thing for us when we dote our dads who are our role models. And oh boy! somebody up there surely did listen to my unvoiced wish and granted me my wish. So much similarity between hubby and dad and the striking one is their temper and organised approach. And one striking difference is when it comes to stressing out. Hubby worries for everybody in the family but dad is much more balanced emotionally (and thats me too!).

    Once again a beautiful post so well written.
     
  3. knot2share

    knot2share Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    1,315
    Likes Received:
    161
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Gender:
    Female
    Apologies!!!!, as my feedback got posted twice! I am trying my hands on a laptop at the moment, which I am so not used to and even a slight movement of my hands or fingertips on that rectangular thing called mousepad ends up in something unexpected happening on the screen. I am like.......nooooooooooo stop stop stop pleaseeeeeeeeeee!!! I didn't want that to happen. Gosh I hate laptops. How do people sit with this all day? Good old PC/Desktop is more reliable and easy to use. I should probably attach a mouse and not use the mousepad :).
     
  4. ShailRaghuvansh

    ShailRaghuvansh Silver IL'ite

    Messages:
    436
    Likes Received:
    78
    Trophy Points:
    70
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear Knot2Share,

    I just loved your response. It was so very nice reading about your feelings, emotions and the thoughts about your relationship with your father.

    I suppose all of us have this thing within each one of us. Some are able to express it and some don't but it stays there all the same.

    Wishing you many more happy years with your father.

    Warm Happy Day to you!
    Shail
     
  5. ShailRaghuvansh

    ShailRaghuvansh Silver IL'ite

    Messages:
    436
    Likes Received:
    78
    Trophy Points:
    70
    Gender:
    Female
    Hi! Knot2Share

    Don't worry. Many amongst us share this irritation about the laptop. It really can be inconvenient what with its (yeah, you got it right!) that in built mouse that really runs around with a mind of its own.

    Yes, many people do that - they attach a extra mouse having been used to the external mouse for years. I had a harrowing time before I could learn to bring the mouse under my control. But there are times, when the mouse decides , "enough is enough!"....... :)
     
  6. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,521
    Likes Received:
    1,436
    Trophy Points:
    445
    Gender:
    Female
    A very nice one Shail.
    You had expressed well the relationship between fathers and daughters.
    Some say that only after the marriage, daughters realise the greatness of their dad...sometimes it is true na..the hardships they go through to settle our marriage..
    I always wonder, what genes I have from my parents.
    But when my grandma told me that I had inherited my father's composure ( he also has his anger at the tip of his nose..me too) to handle any difficult situation, I felt very happy.

    About the laptop mouse...my father would always complain, why and where it is running all the time. He makes sure that it is in front of his eyes...when he lose its sight, he makes sure the mouse comes back, to its den..haha..

    sriniketan
     
  7. ShailRaghuvansh

    ShailRaghuvansh Silver IL'ite

    Messages:
    436
    Likes Received:
    78
    Trophy Points:
    70
    Gender:
    Female
    Hi Sri,

    Nice that you liked my article on fathers and daughters. Though some fathers may not realize it or even acknowledge it, but for daughters/sons, their fathers are their heroes. I still am proud of certain characteristics that I have inherited/adopted from my father!

    Lots of Cheer to your relationship with your father.

    Shail
     
  8. Shanvy

    Shanvy IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    23,659
    Likes Received:
    27,217
    Trophy Points:
    590
    Gender:
    Female
    Shail,

    It is said that Dad's carry us in their spirits before mom's carry us in their womb. (there is a story behind this which eludes me right now, that i have heard in one discourse long long time ago.)

    Dads hold a special place in our heart irrespective of being a boy or a girl. i was always a daddy's girl. my kiddos are both daddy's pets.

    your ode to your dad took me through memory lane...good one..
     
  9. ShailRaghuvansh

    ShailRaghuvansh Silver IL'ite

    Messages:
    436
    Likes Received:
    78
    Trophy Points:
    70
    Gender:
    Female
    Hi Shanvy!

    Thanks. Nice that my article could make you a wee bit nostalgic and go back memory lane. That was exactly the intention.

    "My Daddy strongest" is always what little children tend to say and feel about their fathers.

    Wishing you lots of happiness with your dad.

    Shail
     
  10. SeethaHari

    SeethaHari New IL'ite

    Messages:
    61
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Gender:
    Female
    Shail,

    Excellent blog. Hope kids are as thoughtful as you.for caring about parents. Atleast we can hope the mushrooming of Old age homes will reduce.
    Every child should read this and even if some change by reading your blog, I feel we have accomplished in giving the aged ones their home and loved ones back.
    Credit is all yours.

    Good going, Hope to see many more ......

    Seetha
     

Share This Page