Happy Father's Day, Papa!

Happy Father’s Day Papa!

A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms even as his hands are empty.

I do not think there is a better gift in the world than to be raised by a loving Father. I have been blessed to grow up with not only a loving father, but a super smart, hilariously funny, and well — a truly unique Dad. (which became even more apparent as I compiled the following list.)  Dad worked as a government official and loved his work. In fact, though he is officially retired, he still has a full day of productive work today, post choosing from 3 offers(Wow! Go dad!). Beyond work, Dad is also crazy about his wife, taught us our whole childhood (I still remember him being an engineering guy teaching me economics hons. coursebooks) and has a genuine enthusiasm for life. He wakes up early every morning, excited for another day.

Dad’s a dreamer, a talker, and a deeply loving father and grandfather.

I thought it would be fun to share a list of lessons that I learned from my father, as a sort of tribute to Father’s Day. The older I get the more I realize that so much of who I am, is a reflection of my father’s influence on my life. As you can imagine, this list could have been a mile long as I kept thinking of more and more lessons to add, even as I tried to finish the list.

If you are lucky enough to know my dad, I have a feeling many of these will be familiar to you. If you don’t know my dad, then consider this my little gift to you…A list of life lessons from a truly exceptional man who I get to call Dad. ??

LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MY DAD…

1.     “If there’s a solution, there is no problem.”

To dad, problems are merely a challenge to find a solution. My dad has modeled a positive, grateful attitude in response to every adversity. Always cheerful and never complaining, Dad refuses to let obstacles bring him down. Those who I lived/worked/played with would echo this in the question I often ask, “Do you want to be a part of the problem or a part of the solution?”

2.     “You can do anything in the world you set your mind to, but…”  Dad spoke those words to me countless times when I was growing up. But the end of the sentence was his heart: “But the most important thing you can ever do is be a great mom and wife.”  He would then go into a short speech about how hard my mom worked, how valuable she was, and how nothing (nothing!) he did could compare to the value of her work for our family. Thanks to all that, I grew up literally aspiring to be a great mom and a wife. I have never struggled a single minute with any doubts about whether my role as a stay-at-home/Working/travelling mom was enough.

3.     Learning never ends/Some of the best growth happens later.

Dad continues to learn and grow even as he gets older. He took up a new job in his 50’s and has tried (without any pain and agony and maybe a few extra clicks) to keep up with technology whether it’s WhatsApp/ video calls or shopping on Myntra. He’s great with a smart phone and texts like a pro. (I love how he sends me ‘are you okay’? or ‘you reached home’? messages when I am in a meeting!). I love how people still come to him as a ‘go to person’ for everything under the sun-how to educate your kids, how to buy businesses, how to buy property, how to move mountains et all!

4.     “I’d rather be poor/sad/non-existential than bored.”

It’s another one of dad’s overused less- spoken, more action-ed sayings, but it’s worth mentioning on its own. If you know me, you know I’m a doer…a busy bee that doesn’t like sitting around. I think I got this from both of my parents, and my poor kids are now getting it from me. If you’re bored, we’ll surely find something for you to do. Life/Time/family is a gift, never let any dull your buzzing.

5.     Romance does not have to get old.

Dad never let a busy schedule, or all of the years get in the way of keeping the romance in his marriage. Being an equal partner in chores around the house, educating us, and being on the same team with my mom, he does these small gesture like making sure she takes here medicines on time, instantly knowing if any side of the family made her upset and listening to her and helping out whether it’s lockdown or lockup, ever goes out of fashion for him. Last few years were tough for my mom as she went through few surgeries back to back, I would see him never leave the hospital for a second even if we all were there. He would always just say “I am going to be here” and (hello!) bringing her flowers every anniversary(really!) since I can remember are just a few examples of how Dad has kept the love alive. (I know, it’s hard to compare to that, right?) (It’s ok Ravi, there’s still time….haha)

6.     An enthusiastic attitude can change a person’s day. (or life.)

He is 58 years young. Most of my life’s most eccentric experiences come from his courage to take up anything at any age/time/place. I still remember we did some adventure parks last year together and while my brother(26), my son(9) and me(35) kept thinking whether to do a roller coaster or to jump in a high pressure water tide stimulation, he was already riding the Tide( Literally). It’s like with him the line “if you are offered a ticket to the rocket ship, say ‘yes’ first and then figure out how you will do it” comes to life. It has been my true north star, as I moved from animation/agency/Marketing/sales/My own venture. I have had more than hundred instances when my dad gave me confidence during a challenging time/season/event.

7.     Thoughtfulness makes the world go-round. 

Even as I write this my father must be suggesting someone how to better their lives. That is the kind of thing my parents do. Growing up we always had someone extra at the dinner table. Dad takes time to call old friends. To jot a note. To reach out with concern or encouragement. He would share the lines he shared with us in childhood with my son-  “Actions speak louder than words.”…and (a personal favorite)–“It won’t make your candle burn any brighter to blow out someone else’s.”. My Son love his Grandpa(Nanu!) and he’s crazy about them(My sis’s son too). I am so blessed to share him with them (and vice versa.) I know they are learning many life lessons from him too, and I am so thankful.

Thank you all for letting me share some lessons I’ve learned from my Dad. I’ll share the rest in Part Two when he turns 99.  And boy will those be funny.