Happy Father's Day!
He was the only person at home when I got my first period - "don't you worry, we'll manage" - he said.
He hit a man who was crying because a daughter was born - "we're celebrating here, you can leave" - he said.
He taught me to shop on my own at ten - "you must learn how to handle money" - he said.
He would wake me up at 5 am to watch India's cricket tour of New Zealand with him, teaching me the different strokes, the fielding positions, the difference between fast and spin bowling.
He told me repeatedly to set my own benchmark and just give my best.
He taught me that food is about taste, and not about religion.
He made me wait longer for dolls (to the point of giving up), than for storybooks or badminton rackets, scrabble or pictionary.
He showed me every day that he loved and respected my mother.
And I'm grateful for the thirteen years of life-lessons that will last me a lifetime.
For showing me that there's nothing special about an equal household, its just normal, and that's how it should be.
For teaching me, with his death, that all we have is a lifetime, and it may not be as long as we want it to be.
And yes, he borrowed dialogues - "its nice to be important, but its much much more important to be nice, be a good person" - he said.
To the person who showed me the right kind of normal to live by, Happy Father's Day.
He hit a man who was crying because a daughter was born - "we're celebrating here, you can leave" - he said.
He taught me to shop on my own at ten - "you must learn how to handle money" - he said.
He would wake me up at 5 am to watch India's cricket tour of New Zealand with him, teaching me the different strokes, the fielding positions, the difference between fast and spin bowling.
He told me repeatedly to set my own benchmark and just give my best.
He taught me that food is about taste, and not about religion.
He made me wait longer for dolls (to the point of giving up), than for storybooks or badminton rackets, scrabble or pictionary.
He showed me every day that he loved and respected my mother.
And I'm grateful for the thirteen years of life-lessons that will last me a lifetime.
For showing me that there's nothing special about an equal household, its just normal, and that's how it should be.
For teaching me, with his death, that all we have is a lifetime, and it may not be as long as we want it to be.
And yes, he borrowed dialogues - "its nice to be important, but its much much more important to be nice, be a good person" - he said.
To the person who showed me the right kind of normal to live by, Happy Father's Day.
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