I'm Dad

It's Father's Day today.

To all dad folks out there and whomever wants to be dad, here is vkn wishing you a very happy Father's Day not only just for this day but for your entire life. Hope you guys have a great one.

And most of us like me whose fathers nor grandfathers are no more alive, this event would be to reflect and honor the enormous role they played in our lives. It is absolutely double the fun when our children will be reading our blogs and give comments on them at some point in future.

This is one of the pictures that I have of my dad MK Narayanan. Thanks to my late mom who had this interesting hobby of lining up all framed family pictures on all possible walls. I only have a very limited episodes of strong memories about my father whom I lost when I was studying in my 6th grade. By the time we kids realized the importance of having a father we only had those loving memories and some of his pictures on the walls whenever we go to native home to stare on adoringly. My youngest brother was only at his 6 months of age when we lost our father. My family history seems to be quite patchy too. I never met my paternal grandfather who died before I was born. My maternal grandfather was a nomadic traveler at his young age of 64. I can recall meeting with him 4 or 5 times where he used to bring us pocketfuls of 'jeerka mitais', 'kadala mitais', 'kambarkattu mitais', and 'naranga mitais'. Also, he used to give me (the eldest son) 25 paise (1/4th of an India Rupee; if my calculation is correct, it is approx. 0.005 USD) as tip whenever I go to shop and get him his 'vettila' and 'pakku' (pan). Has anyone heard of these typical local names? I also remember very vaguely that he used to tell us long lectures of his travel finds in the most funniest way and stories much lengthier and mightier than that of Harry Potter themes up and until the last kid sleeps on his laps at the midnights. I do not have any pictures of both of my grandfathers. It is quite sad that we know nothing of their parents.

Here is a link to a few attributes of a good father that I found it here today. I have already written down these in my diary and will aim to practice as a proud father of three boys. Sharing with you folks.

1. Gentle father. Kids definitely are looking for firmness, but they do also look at us for gentleness.
2. Dependable father. Not to become an absentee father. Kids need to depend on our words.
3. Humble father. Oh, yes.. kids and their welfare should be ahead of our own.
4. Forgiving father. I used to do things that were worser than what my kids are doing.
5. Listening father. Kids really have so many things to tell us.
6. Fun father. Loosen up.
7. Discipline. To keep the objective of preparing their maturity by not having too many rules.
8. Respecting father. By never attacking their personality attributes and character traits. Respect their feelings.

Also, sharing with you two children-related quotes from my inspiring words blog.

"There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children - one is roots, the other wings." - Stephen Covey -

"Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but are not from you.

And though they are with you yet they do not belong to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,

But seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

And He bends you with His might that

His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies,

so He loves also the bow that is stable." - Kahlil Gibran -

That is it for now folks. Life goes on! Cheers!