#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.
* 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.
Touching !
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Nice that you have shared your memories and experiences.
ReplyDeleteMy regards to your Vaapa :) We are lucky to have our dads.
The ending quote is apt, Meera.
Nice Narrative!
ReplyDeleteWonderfully written :) Loved it
ReplyDeleteNice post, loved the quote and calvin's dad!
ReplyDeleteReally Super Read, look forward to visiting your blog more!
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your lovely comments.. Keep visiting! :-)
ReplyDelete