Dad had this amazing capacity to empathize with the experiences of his children. The joy in their success, the pain in their failures, and the hurt in their disappointments were all his. He would feel it and he would stand by them through thick and thin. Personally, he was my pillar of strength, my support, my encouragement, and my inspiration.
Most of what I achieved in life was for him! His belief in what I could accomplish drove me and propelled me. However, whatever he expected off me was never unreasonable or beyond my capacity. Looking back, I think all that he wanted, was for me to feel successful in my life.
I still fondly remember an incident that was a turning point in my life.
There was only about a month left for my II PUC final exams and I had not done my studies properly despite attending tuitions all year round for the important subjects. Now, there was so much to catch-up on and so little time that I didn’t know what to do. I knew that in his mind Dad expected me to do well, but I was wondering if I could really match it. Over dinner that day, I told dad that that I could not meet his expectations and that he should lower the bar down. I felt heavily disappointed with myself and I remember telling him between sobs that I could perhaps try for a 50% and that I would be fine with not being able to join an Engineering College, though that was what I wanted with all my heart. I still remember him chewing on his Chappati on my predicament. He then calmly went on to say, “You do your best and leave the rest to me! Even if you get a 35% (which was the passing marks) I will get you into an Engineering College”. I did not expect this reply and I didn’t know what to make of it. I knew that getting admitted to an Engineering college with low percentages meant that it would cost a lot of money! However, at that age I did not really think about how my Dad would manage the money, but I did believe he could get me into technical college. His statement had a very important releasing effect on me. Now, I could still get into Engineering by just ensuring a passing percentage! A very comforting thought to fall back on. I remember going back from the dinner table and thinking that if Dad was willing to invest so much in me then why don’t I give it my very best shot instead of just giving up! I sat down with my sister and drew up a very tough study timetable. I studied night & day and completed my exams well. I got an 81% and I think I still finally managed to match up to Dad’s expectations. I remember the joy I saw on his face, the same joy that I saw for every other happy occasion that he shared with me in life.
Most of what I achieved in life was for him! His belief in what I could accomplish drove me and propelled me. However, whatever he expected off me was never unreasonable or beyond my capacity. Looking back, I think all that he wanted, was for me to feel successful in my life.
I still fondly remember an incident that was a turning point in my life.
There was only about a month left for my II PUC final exams and I had not done my studies properly despite attending tuitions all year round for the important subjects. Now, there was so much to catch-up on and so little time that I didn’t know what to do. I knew that in his mind Dad expected me to do well, but I was wondering if I could really match it. Over dinner that day, I told dad that that I could not meet his expectations and that he should lower the bar down. I felt heavily disappointed with myself and I remember telling him between sobs that I could perhaps try for a 50% and that I would be fine with not being able to join an Engineering College, though that was what I wanted with all my heart. I still remember him chewing on his Chappati on my predicament. He then calmly went on to say, “You do your best and leave the rest to me! Even if you get a 35% (which was the passing marks) I will get you into an Engineering College”. I did not expect this reply and I didn’t know what to make of it. I knew that getting admitted to an Engineering college with low percentages meant that it would cost a lot of money! However, at that age I did not really think about how my Dad would manage the money, but I did believe he could get me into technical college. His statement had a very important releasing effect on me. Now, I could still get into Engineering by just ensuring a passing percentage! A very comforting thought to fall back on. I remember going back from the dinner table and thinking that if Dad was willing to invest so much in me then why don’t I give it my very best shot instead of just giving up! I sat down with my sister and drew up a very tough study timetable. I studied night & day and completed my exams well. I got an 81% and I think I still finally managed to match up to Dad’s expectations. I remember the joy I saw on his face, the same joy that I saw for every other happy occasion that he shared with me in life.
