To My Role Model, My Hero, My Dad – Happy Father’s Day!!

I was home from school with the progress card in hand. We had just moved from Mumbai to Mangalore and I had joined 5^th Grade of a CBSE school in late June when classes had already started. The monthly exam was due in 2 days from the date of my joining. So for the first time my marks were low; C, D in all subjects except Science. I had got E in Science. I was scared to take the progress report home and get it signed. Firstly, I never had such low grades so wasn’t sure how my parents would react, and secondly my dad was at home, so I will obviously have to get it signed from him instead of Amma.

My dad used to travel a lot and would rarely be at home, so with papa not being around much, we (me and my sis) were both scared of him. So you can imagine how I would have felt while carrying that progress report back home with a FAIL/E grade on it. I still remember how I was reciting different excuses to give on being scolded, I dint have time to cover all the syllabus, I will do better next time etc…

My dad held the report in his hand, and I had started blabbering already "वो papa, time नहीं था, पूरे notes भी नहीं बना पायी थी, first time fail हुई हूँ papa, अगली बार नहीं होगा" ... something like that.

And all that my dad said was " अरे, ठीक है beta । ये सारे exams तो कुछ भी नहीं है. Life में इस से बड़े बड़े exams होते है, बस उनमें pass होने की कोशिश करना। Failing in these school exams don't matter. Don't worry." He signed the progress report and handed it over to me with a smile.

That was the first and last time I ever failed in a test – school or college or Life :)

Courtesy - Google Images.

I did not understand the depth of his words then. But for some reason, his words were registered in my mind forever; as if there was some important message hidden in it. This was one of the few instances that had a major impact on me. As I grew and faced more difficult challenges, his words kept coming back to me. And now when I look back, his words couldn't mean more to me. There couldn't have been anyone else’s words as motivational as his.

I see people scolding and terrorizing their kids with respect to their exams, grades etc…My dad never scolded us about anything; he used to just say “You know better what to do with your life. You are responsible for whatever you want to or will become.” And that had filled us with a sense of responsibility right from childhood. When your parents don’t scold/abuse you for your mistakes; instead talk to you and make you understand its consequences; we as kids feel obliged not to put them through the same situation again.

There are a lot of things my Dad taught me and he is always there in my subconscious mind while trying to make decisions of life- big or small. People search for a role model in Steve Jobs or Mahatma Gandhi or others, for me my Dad is my role model and will always be. He taught us how to face the world and fight the battle of this life independently.

To My Role Model, My Hero, My Dad – Happy Father’s Day!!

-Sarita

Dated: 15 June 2014

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