A couple of days ago I was reading a piece of news about an arduous act undertaken by an old father to meet his daughter who lived 90 km away from him. The emotional story touched me so deeply that it all appeared as a Bollywood movie flashback drawing me towards the castle of memories of my childhood with my father. My heart was filled with immense love, respect and adoration for these heroes who are called fathers. They are living legends who are always ready to tunnel through any hazards to soothe their children during the difficult phases of their life. The story is of a desperate father from the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, who wanted to see his pregnant daughter but due to the corona curfew, he could not avail any bus to travel 90 km to Karsarpura from Sendhwa, his hometown. The 75-year-old father decided to walk and started his journey on May 18 and covered 70km distance on foot by the evening before he met a constable in Kharagone who offered him food and then dropped him at his daughter’s house on his two-wheeler. The elderly man proved it that a father’s love is visible in many shades and he can go to any extent for the well-being of his children. A father’s love is eternal, beyond the richest treasures of the world, and the strongest shield around children.
Most of us, especially Gen X and
Millennials have seen our fathers, compromising their comforts and limiting
their expenses to save every single penny to give a good life to their
children. Certainly harsh reprimands and angry looks on academic reports and
study hours were essentials of daily diet and children had grown immune to
that. Occasional slaps, thrashing and kicks (please allow me to be a little
gender biased here: only boys needed this) were the effective measures during
counseling sessions of more notorious siblings and believe me children never
suffered depression or mental anxiety. The most possible reasons might be
either children were so adept at handling pressure of humiliation or they
didn’t know what it was. Without any formal trainings or degrees those days’
fathers were the best Clinical Psychologists. Fathers were on scooters,
sometimes on bicycles but always an ideally contented and the most protective
figure of the family structures. They were neither jovial nor ambitious, their
ambition was only to get their children educated at their best and placed at
good positions. They never had a shopping-list; I must say they just hated it.
A wardrobe with hardly half a dozen pairs of stitched shirt-pants, one safari
suit and a pair of leather shoes were considered their signature collection and
a possession, good enough to maintain their enviable life style. Fathers were
truly not as cool looking guys as today’s fathers are, they actually looked as
if born as fathers; true gentlemen of good old days, with sincere and stern
looks so that no child can put any undue demand (children were so intelligent
that they knew which request will be granted and when it should be put forth),
less talkative as it was customary; the tradition of being friendly with
children didn’t exist those days and Sunday outing was not a social norm in
most of the families.
With this quintessential fatherly
attitude, one thing was definitely cool about them and that is they are the
most amazing, generous and caring fathers of all generations. They never
pampered but loved unconditionally, they never expressed their expectations but
left no stone unturned in fulfilling their children’s demands(only genuine),
they were least enthusiastic to spend family time but never forgot to caress
children’s forehead if they had a bad day or weren’t physically well. Their
love had something very peculiar in it; as they never seemed to be loving but
failed to hide their tears if children were going out to stay in hostels for
higher studies. So strange it was! No?
Interesting Read on Parenting: As Parent You Preach or Perform?
Father is an ocean of love and a sky of infinite blessings.
It’s
beautifully quoted, “A father’s tears and fears are unseen, his love is
unexpressed, but his care and protection remain as a pillar of strength
throughout our lives.” We often think of the love, care, and attention of mother
but fathers always take a back seat when it comes to sing and celebrate love of
Parents. Generally father’s tenderness, patience, caring and nurturing their
young ones is shadowed by the sacrifices of motherhood and deters the male from
being accepted as intensely loving and primary caregiver for their children.
But a father’s heart knows it very well that his love for his children helps
them feel more secure physically, emotionally, mentally and intellectually. A
father is always the first influencer and a role model for children and his
contribution to the lives of his kids is no less than their mother. A father
introduces a wider variety of approaches of dealing life; they encourage
risk-taking and problem-solving capabilities in children which result in a Strong Emotional Immunity in them.
The mother brings life and love; the father brings strength and vigor to the young ones and that makes the best combination of the art of parenting, a father’s love is irreplaceable, unfathomable, and unique in its own way because only father’s love doesn’t expect anything in return from his children. He remains always on the giver’s side without letting anyone know what struggles he is going through. This altruistic quality and strength is bestowed only upon them by God. And that makes me say that they are truly the living Gods for their children, their persistence and sweat bring the fragrance of success and prosperity in children’s life. Father Teaches righteousness and discipline that turns a tender heart into a strong fighter, he brings out the rebel in us who can stand for right and oppose wrong. I am proud to say that my father is my Super Hero; if any small good I have done to my life to make it worth living that’s because of my father and I am sure you must be feeling the same.
