With Father's Day around the corner, I started thinking about a dad's role in the family. In my opinion they are the unsung heroes. I am not at all denying a mother's importance and valuable contribution in one's life. It is incomparable, but, at the same time, I strongly feel both parents have a huge contribution in the upbringing of a child. Lot of poems, quotes, literature has been written praising mothers but not so much is said / written about fathers.

 

In Indian culture, parents are given status of God. Its written in Vedas 'Matru devo bhav, Pitru devo bhav'.  It literally means "Be one for whom the Mother is God. Be one for whom the Father is God." As per Hindu calendar, last day of month of Shravan (it generally falls in August) is observed as Mother's day but no such day is observed as Father's Day. In recent years, Indians observe it on the 2nd Sunday of June when rest of the world celebrates it.

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I am blessed to be associated with two such personalities who are great fathers. First and foremost is my dad who we call 'Baba' and another important person whom my kids call 'Baba'. 

As they say every girl has her father as her first hero. I was no different. My dad is a very intelligent and hardworking person. The legacy of being a good father was passed on to my dad by his father and that same legacy is being passed to the next generation. The proof is my brother who is also a great dad. 

As my grandfather was a head teacher, the values my dad and his siblings inherited were enormous. These values helped my dad to cross all hurdles with sanity, may it be financial or any other. 

 

The most important thing for my dad has always been education, for him, it doesn't stop after the graduation or post-graduation. His mantra is ‘one should always keep learning’. We should be learners for life'. Today, at the age of 75, he still follows his mantra. Every now and then he will ask me and my husband if we have learnt anything new, whether it's a new skill or activity.

As I mentioned in my 'About' section, I was never encouraged to go to the kitchen because he wanted me and my brother to study as much as possible. When we were kids, he used to give us summer homework. I went to regional school so I started learning English in school in Year 5. But at home, he started teaching English when I was in Year 2. I used hate studying during summer holidays but he was very strict about it so I had no choice. In year 5, I received an award for the best English result. That was the time when I fully appreciated his vision. 

During exam time, he would iron our clothes, and drop us to college whenever possible. He made sure that everything we needed was made available to us. Having said that, he has never spoiled us. When we were young, he used to tell us that if we ask for 10 things, even though he can afford all of them, he would give us only 8 as we should get used to hearing no and not getting everything we asked for. Not every demand will be completed unless it's necessary.

He is very curious by nature. He reads a lot and his book collection has various nonfiction books on various topics. He has a very selective taste of reading. He has knowledge on a wide range of subjects. He has a very peculiar style of explaining any topic. He can explain the same topic to a 5 year old or a college student equally well.

He is very particular about the way he dresses. His clothes are tailored, ironed including his handkerchief, with polished shoes. Another thing he is well known for is his taste in perfumes. His immaculate behaviour is reflected in all areas, right from his handwriting and his paperwork to the way he packs the bags.

 
He loves to keep himself busy. At the age of 75, he still runs his management consultancy. He travels to different cities for his work and no plans for retirement are on the horizon. ‘Change in work is rest’ is his philosophy. That keeps him fit and happy.

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You can imagine the kind of impact I have had on my life due to his powerful personality. Unknowingly, it must have definitely played a role in choosing a life partner. I wouldn't claim that from day one I knew that my husband would be a great dad. But, as I got to know him and saw him in very early years of our first child, I realised that he is going to be the best dad for my kids.

 

My husband is a very intelligent, well read, balanced person. You could ask him for information about anything in the world and it hardly happens that he doesn't have a clue about it. One of his talents is photography skills that he's inherited from his grandfather. All these wonderful photos for the website are clicked by my husband.

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He is very soft spoken and has a likeable personality. He is an introvert but a good listener. He might not proactively start conversation but is always listening. Our kids know that very well, as their demands get fulfilled and their questions get answered. 

My kids know that their dad is always with them. However busy or tired he has been, he will try his best to be there for them, whether it be their school assembly or a ballet concert or an international fencing competition. He always thinks about what's best for the kids. He always supports them and encourages them when they want to try something new. His philosophy is that, as a parent, it's our duty to show the kids different avenues, let them explore various options and when they choose what they want pursue, support them as much as possible. He walks his talk. He is always on top of the game when it comes to kids’ activities. For example, for my son's competitions, he is the one who keeps track of competition schedules, registrations, hotel bookings, early morning drives for hours to get him to the competition on time, being an armourer who makes sure all the equipment is checked, photographer, coach and the biggest supporter. 

 

Kids describe him as their friend, philosopher and guide. He is a perfectionist and a techie so getting him a gift is the biggest challenge for us. 

 

I am surrounded by so many great fathers around me such as my brother, my cousins, uncles, my brothers in law, friends, colleagues  and all the dads and coaches from our fencing fraternity to name a few.  It's incredible to see how efficiently these dads are balancing their careers and shaping their children's lives. This inspired me even more to think and write this article in the honour of all these great dads.  

 

Sadly, we lost one such great dad few months ago, my father-in-law who was also a great personality, talented entrepreneur and an amazing artist.