Life lessons from my father

Words cannot express the role parents play in the life of their children and the myriad ways they influence their lives.

I was fortunate to have been born to a middle-class couple who brought me up with love and affection, and nurtured me to take on the world. I cannot ever recall them being strict with me, and yet in their unique way, they led by the example of their lives. The life lessons I learnt from them are, as they say, things they don’t teach you at Harvard.

Talking about mothers comes naturally to us but fathers also need their day under the sun. My father was a graduate and held a white-collar job. His greatest quality was his humility. He always held himself responsible for his failures without giving excuses. He was a master of plain speak and he spoke only what he truly meant.

I remember him always telling me that you need to make it big in life and do things which he couldnt. Not once did he attribute it to office politics or careless uneducated parents with many children to look after or incompetent teachers or luck and destiny. He was very fond of citing examples of his classmates who made it big in their lives in spite of similar or harsher family circumstances, by virtue of their own hard work. This attitude had an indirect effect on me; I have always valued intellectual integrity at the cost of approbation, and prefer self-effacement to an overbearing nature, not necessarily strong points in many situations.

Another good quality I have always appreciated in him is that he never felt it below his dignity to shower deserving praise on anybody, even to his own detriment. He admired the brilliance of the young and old alike in his department with no ego whatsoever, and predicted a bright future for them. This had an indirect bearing on my behaviour with my juniors. If they make a mistake, I ask myself whether I had committed similar mistakes in my younger days and my conscience invariably replies in the affirmative which helps keep the situation pleasant for both of us.

Another of his habits that I have imbibed to my advantage is reading newspapers and books not only for news but also for their editorials. It had the effect on me of minding my Ps and Qs both in language and in character to the best of my ability.

His belief in God and religion was simple. Visiting places of worship and practicing rituals were not compulsory for him and the same holds true for me.

Last but not the least, even his regret that he could not give us the best in lyf always made me motivated and feel that though I could'nt make it to a Harvard or a IIM, this day I am as good as one of them.

                   I hope to carry that fight forward in far, far better circumstances.