There is no good father. No, do not be scandalized. What I mean is that every father is good. So where is the need to add another `good'? It only makes the adjective redundant. But since I am the one writing this article, I believe I can afford to show a bit of corruption and say that my dad is not just good, he is the best! As a daughter, I have felt relief in the cocoon of my father's love when I thought no one in the world understood me.
My dad says that I am the only one who understands what he wants without him saying it. The reality is that he dotes on me so much that he chooses to acknowledge only me as the person who understands him, even when my mom and brothers are equally good at reading his thoughts! I love him for this; it makes me feel super special.
How much does a dad matter in this day and age? A lot, I would say. I believe the love of a father has been grossly undermined. A father is the provider of the family, not necessarily in the material sense, but in a more all-encompassing way. A father is the balancing factor in a child's life. Mothers have their favourites, but one rarely hears of dad's faves. Fathers are those pillars of strength which support best when they are camouflaged. We rarely sit back to think over the entity which keeps the intricate network of our social and personal life intact and stable. That entity is our father. Goes to show how understated fathers are and how overstated they deserve to be.
My father could not be with me on Father's Day as he was out of station. But then, I know nothing matters to him more than me. The secret to our bonding is knowing that we love each other even when we are apart. The satisfaction in knowing that yes, my father has yet again forgotten my birthday, is poetic irony! I am assured that he has not changed, not even a bit, and I can rely on him to forget special occasions. I would, in fact, be alarmed if he remembered to wish me on time! His absent-mindedness makes him real to me.
I have tried hard to figure out the evolutionary trend of fathers in general. Earlier fathers used to be reserved in showing their love for their children. Not that they cared any less for their kids. But gradually, there has been a creeping change in their temperament. Fathers have become friends. Showing uninhibited love for your kids is no more a taboo. They have become more involved in their kids' lives. It is a pleasant sight to see the new daddy getting up in the middle of the night to change his kid's nappy!
What is there to be surprised then when kids say `My daddy's the best'!
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