Being A Great Dad...

                                                                         #GreatDad

Sometime in our life, we come across a person who changes our views towards life and becomes our inspiration. True hero is that person who always inspires us, motivates us and always been there as our silent supporter on whom we can rely upon. Still at times we can even take that person for granted. Though for the world they are not known but for someone they are their real heroes. We all need a role model who fuels our dreams to make our world a better place. Mine is my Vaapa!

He was working abroad for many years when I was young. I used to crave for his presence during those important moments in my life. Like when I received the first prize at the School Day function or even to attend the parents’ meeting at school. As a kid I many times have felt sad that he could not be there when I needed him. But when he was home he made sure all his time spent was only for us and nothing more. But later as I grew up, I realized he was staying that many miles away from the family only to support and stand for us.. Only us!

I still remember those nights when my father used to call me and my brother to play Scrabble after others went to bed. It is still fresh in my memory how we used to simply talk, talk and talk. My brother and I used to ask endless questions and he never got tired or hesitated to answer us. He has told us stories about his life, growing up, his father, the mistakes he had made, the accomplishments he had achieved and some crazy things he had done. And there we would sit, listen and laugh until our stomachs hurt while making our moves trying to form a bingo in the Scrabble and beat his score.

He has taught us the value of life, self-esteem, self-confidence and the courage to handle tough situations in life. He even taught us to dream a lot where we can let our imaginations wander without any limits.

For every daughter, her father is the perfect man – her first love, her admiration and lot more. I look upon himself for everything including his dressing style, his charisma, and the way he carries himself. My Vaapa is the best!

But I wonder what it is to be a #GreatDad for the dad himself. Few weeks back when I was talking to this guy who had just became a father; he told me about how all he prepared himself to be the best dad for his child.

He said,

‘When I heard the first cry of my son, that was the moment I realized that I really want to be a great dad. But the question ‘What makes a great dad?’ made me travel back to my childhood to find the answer.

Being the best dad begins when you are a son and continues until you become a grandfather. For every child the father is the first hero. This happens irrespective of any characteristic of the father. Isn’t that a great head start for every father to become a great dad?

While I was a son, there were many moments when I felt that my dad is great. May it be when my dad cheered me up during my kho-kho game or when he bought me a drawing board to improve my passion for painting or when he was by my side when my first crush rejected me. These moments are the beginning of my journey to become a great dad.

When I found out that I am going to be a father, I was overwhelmed with several emotions. Joy was the initial wave, followed by a heavy sense of anxiety. I'm not really an anxious person, but the idea of bringing up a child gave me a new sense of responsibility that I had not experienced before. Even before I realize, I was already preparing myself to be the best dad ever. Be it a son or daughter this preparation laid a strong foundation for the journey ahead. To list a few things out of many I did to prepare myself are -

* Understanding the beautiful relationship with my child.

* Balancing my emotional side to perfectly accommodate the feeling of having a child and taking up the role of a father

* Reading about the child and his growth and development during the initial step of life.

* Saving separately for my child's needs.
* Planning my life ahead around my child and making myself as the best part of my child’s life.

All these things assured me that the direction I have taken to be the best for my kid is right and made me feel great with my heart n mind. Now my son is three months old and I already feel great being a dad. With all the preparations, I am tailoring to be the best to present myself to my son. And my success in this journey will be when he sees me as the perfect reference for him to be a great dad to my grand child.

With this good hope my journey of making myself a great dad continues...’

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He believed in me. ~ Jim Valvano.

I have written this post as a part of the #GreatDad Campaign in association with SBI Life Insurance.