My father, my hero: The inspiration behind Priyafied

Almost everyone who has or had a great father, considers them their hero. We often say and hear this. Our fathers know this. But today is a special occasion when I want to address something in this context. It’s my father’s birthday! Along with wishes from my heart, I want to write a special ‘thank you’ to him. He has definitely done everything a father does for his daughter, and much more than that. And I will forever be thankful to have gotten such a loving father who has done, and is doing, all his duties towards me, my mother and the whole family so responsibly. But the intention of this article is more than this. I want to thank him and applaud him for the human being he is, his intellect and the stability he brings to the life of people related to him. He is the primary source and inspiration for my own intellect and smartness. He is the reason I am who I am. I am aware that everyone applauds their fathers this way. But I applaud the knowledgeable, wise and enlightened man who happens to be my father. I say this not only because he is my father. Rather, being the daughter of a man of his intellect is a privilege for me.

My blog has been complimented by many people. I have been told that my vision is different, the way of delivery is simple, and I succeed in inspiring people to think. I am grateful for all the appreciation and love, and I will continue to do this. My father is the only reason I have this vision and ability to comprehend such subjects. And mother’s training and encouragement are the reasons I write and this blog exists.

He has taught me several things directly. But I have also learnt a lot from the little scraps of wisdom when he is not trying to actively teach, but I learn. The little things like knowing when to show which emotions, when to be practical and importantly, how to keep your point across without being disrespectful. There are times when he has had to compromise, and a lot of times when he never bogged down to compromise. I learnt from him to distinguish between the two. He has always respected everyone, but only to the extent of valuing their integrity as a human, and never push anyone up to the level of God or down to the Devil.

He is always the anchor I could rely upon for every single aspect of my life. While he obviously taught and encouraged me to take my own decisions, he also taught me when to ask for help and when to rely on my own judgement. While he always stood with me along all decisions I took for myself, he corrected me for the wrong ones without pointing out my errors actively. He simply pushed me to evaluate and reach to the conclusions on my own. He anchored me, but never held me back.

I have looked up to him for everything. Every child does that. But I look up to him as an exceptionally knowledgeable human being, who can comprehend complex principles, decode them and gain enlightenment. Moreover, the art of maneuvering through the toughest situations in life is not everyone’s cup of tea. The first human instinct when anything goes wrong, is to cry and ask ‘why me’. He has been the ‘get up and conquer’ kind of person. I have learnt from him to keep my mind open in adverse situations and think of solutions objectively, which he has always done. I am not perfect and I do get bogged down from time to time. But I have learnt not to accept defeat and get up again. I strive to reach his level of progression and mental advancement.

I have learnt from him to enjoy. There is no better way to enjoy than he does. I say this because the way he finds solutions to problems, he also knows to find entertainment and relaxation. This was never actively taught to me and neither it is possible to teach something like this. But I have learnt to find that balance in life from his live example. We already know that life is a mixture of all flavors, but how many of us can identify and add the required one at the right time in our lives? Along with enjoyment, it is also important to find satisfaction. There are points in life where he has had to strive to get more because it was needed. But he has drawn a line between need and greed, and has been satisfied with it without compromises. I also strive to reach his level of mental stability.

When he respects my mother, I see and understand what is needed in a man to be an ideal partner. I also see how to respect your personal space, your family’s personal space and find a nice overlap without letting go of your responsibilities, and also be there for everyone in all circumstances. Such complex dynamic requires a very clear vision and judgement. I have learnt from him to be mindful of everyone’s needs including self, and act with smartness. There is no way of making everyone happy at the same time, but he has always used the solution which will be in the interest of their own good in the long run. Even if it upsets me at that point of time, I have learnt to trust his judgement. If you know him, you should too. I strive to be capable enough to earn that trust.

I hope and strive to become more like him and if I could be even 1% of his sensibilities, I would consider myself fortunate. This article, dedicated to him, is not enough to talk about everything he stands for. But this is an appreciation post to show how much I respect him as a father who is also a friend, anchor, teacher, hero, earnest human and role model. A father is a banker provided to the child by nature. And I got his good genes of wisdom, looks and common sense. So thank you Appa! I turned out awesome! Whether or not anybody recognizes your value, you have, and will always have, a fan and follower in your daughter!

Stay safe and stay Priyafied!