On Father's Day

This Sunday, we celebrate Father's Day. It is not quite as popular as Mother's Day but still a pretty popular Sunday atleast in the US. As a son and father, this day is very special for me. And I wanted to write something for all the dads and their boys and girls out there.Dear Dads Everywhere,This Sunday is that one day in the year when you get your share of the limelight. Enjoy it. You deserve it. The women deservedly get all the attention. They get books written by big people. But today is about you and your kids. So take it all in and sit back and bask in the glory.We live in a world where the concept of family is changing rapidly. It is thankfully not one of a man-earns-the-money, woman takes care of kids and everything else. It is about doing things together. A partnership in making the right choices and the right sacrifices together for the betterment of the family. You deserve the same amount of work and responsibility as your spouse. And yes, the same amount of credit and praise. It is hard to raise children as I am discovering every day. It is incredibly challenging for two parents to bring up the kid right. And as a dad, you have your role defined, not by what history and society tells you but by what your family and child demands.A father today has to clean vessels, cook, do the laundry, go to work, pick up the kid from school, help in the homework and put the kid to sleep. It is all the stuff the mother does too. I grew up in a two income family where my dad pitched in every activity in the house- from cooking to teaching us homework to taking us to school. We had the right share of attention from both parents. And it made a difference. We learned to be gentle and compassionate and strong and brave.As dads, you inspire and help them be who they are. You encourage them as they learn to bike without your supporting hands. You willingly agree to be their chess teacher and partner until they get the better of you. You lift and hold them as they want to reach higher. And when they are there, you are content to watch from below as they conquer the summit. You are their first friend, their first teacher, their first rule enforcer, and at some point of time, for their own good, their first enemy. Being a father is a blessing. It shows your the small and big pleasures in life, hitherto unknown. As a dad, revel in those moments that you share(d) with your kids. As a son or daughter, remind your dad what he means to you. As parents we are defined not by what we do but by what our kids do. And as I am learning everyday, there is no joy, no gift greater than when our kids make us proud. Happy Father's Day. Signed,A Son/A Father.