Dearest Dad.

16th June, 2019

“Dear Diary,
When I look back at any important life decision I’ve ever made, I see my Dad’s face. Probably because he’s the one who has always taught me to trust my own instincts and be strong, no matter how unconventional a path I choose to walk on in life. I guess my Dad has always known that my brother and I were never the ‘conventional’ kind. I’ve lost count of the number of times he has defended my career choices when judgy relatives doubted me. He’s the strongest person I know.”

Out of all the things I’ve done in my childhood, the one thing that will always make me laugh the most is when I used to wake my Dad up at 4AM during chilly winter mornings because I wanted to go to the park and play. And of course, I had to be bundled in 3 layers of sweaters and then taken to the park because I was a noisy, stubborn kid and I wouldn’t shut up until I was actually taken to the park.

I definitely do not wake up that early, or remotely early anymore, but my Dad is still the first person I go to when I need to clear my head. Like any teenager, I was a very difficult brat who wouldn’t listen to reason, but Dad has always been patient with me. Like any Indian parent, mine wanted me to pursue engineering, but unlike most Indian parents, Dad very quickly wrapped his head around the idea that my interests lay elsewhere and I would do much better if I wasn’t caught up in the rat-race.

All my life, I’ve only ever seen Dad try to be as supportive as he can when it comes to my brother and me. I don’t think there are enough words to tell you all how incredibly grateful we are for our Dad. He is quite literally the backbone to our dreams and we’d hate to let him down. The only thing he wishes for is our success, and we’ll make him proud!

We love you, Dad!

Cheerio! Xx

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