Father's daughter. ...

Father's daughter.....

This morning was different. I got up with thoughts of my father who would be ninety-two today. Many people tell me that I look my father and those who know me well say that my mannerisms and behaviour are so much like him. No doubt I am my father's daughter yet I don't think I possess half the qualities that he has.
Born and brought up in Tamil Nadu in a well-to-do family his life was good until tragedy struck by way of a loss in business. All of a sudden his world toppled and their family had to face tough times. However that did not dampen his spirits. He was bold enough to accept a job far away from his home in Mumbai when he joined the Railways.
He started his career as an Electrical Foreman and rose upto the ranks of Divisional Electrical Engineer. A workaholic, I had never seen him shirk any of his responsibilities. He was so punctual that people would set their clocks on his movement. A stickler for rules, people feared and respected his no-nonsense attitude.
At home he was soft , non-interfering but a strict disciplinarian. He ruled the roost silently.
His uprightness and honesty were examples to learn from though it led to a lot of hardships. However he ensured that all of us imbibed those qualities and followed them in life. Without doubt they have enabled all of us to stand tall in our lives. His straightforward behaviour was another quality which made him different. Never one to mince words he has always been pure of heart.
A chip of the old block I may have inherited at least an iota of all these qualities. However what I like most about him is his enthusiasm and liveliness for everything. So if anyone was visiting us he would ensure that the list of places to be seen was ready before hand. They guests could certainly not leave without vsiting those places.
He is the first one even now to make telephone calls to all his children and grandchildren who are way and enquire about their well-being everyday. As for me his concern and desire to know everything about me and keep me protected even at this age is so endearing. 

His prayers give us strength and keeps the family together. Therefore the earliest memories of my childhood are of us praying together as family in the evenings when we would all sing Jai Jagdish Hare. The weekly visit to the Hanuman Mandir and Shani Mnadir were a must. I remember our chats while walking to the temple and coming back. I was very much outgoing and more of a tomboy whereas my sister was docile and soft spoken. I had learnt to cycle by myself at the age of five and for some reason my sister hadn't even at eleven. My father took it upon himself that learning cycling was a must for her. He literally pushed her into it against her wishes. I remember running besides her as he forced her to ride the cycle and also her fall into a deep gutter. She came out dishevelled, shivering and severely bruised and hurt. My father was much more hurt emotionally. He felt tormented that he had pushed my sister and apologised profusely that he would never do so again. Such was the softness in his attitude. Always understanding and supporting us in every possible way. As for me , he stood by me when I chose humanities and a career so demanding and different. My parents lived with me at the places I was posted to ensure that I was safe and secure.
My mother supported him in more ways than one. She was the one who used to manage our family of six which included us four siblings. It was a tightrope walk in the salary he earned and she was the one who had to borrow or take loans to manage our lives. None of us were very demanding and we led a simple life. However sending my brother to IIT was the biggest financial challenge which they surmounted too.
Their integrity is something which is embedded in our being like their blessings. This later led us to better days on the sheer dint of our education and hard work. Each one of us excelled in the fields we chose to join and with the blessings of God life has been comfortable.  
My mother's biggest grouse has been the fact that they had no home of their own but my father has been cool enough to accept his children's home as theirs. More admirable is the fact that he adjusts with all of us and our spouses and children so wonderfully that everyone loves to be with him and have him.around.
His presence electrifies the house and makes it lively with his jokes and camaraderie. His habit of playing religious music in all the rooms maybe a little unnerving at times but becomes a part of one's psyche as one gets used to it.
I am all of fifty-three yet I begin my day as my father's daughter with a call from him. My day  ends with it too.
It is certainly a tall order to be my father's daughter yet I keep trying everyday to follow him as best as possible. One thing I haven't been able to imbibe is his physical discipline. He walks almost two hours daily even if it is the rooms of the house. He food is measured and he never overeats which is perhaps the most difficult to follow. According to my mother the only flaw he had was his temper which I think has mellowed through the years. It is easy to inherit flaws and unfortunately I seem to have inherited it though I too am mastering the art of controlling it and hope to achieve my equilibrium sooner or later!
On his birthday today we joined together as family on a zoom call. He was full of life in the virtual celebration asking us to sing and dance. His toothless grin and child like joy on cutting the cake made by his loving daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law was palpable. As we prayed and sang our way to joy I could feel a sense of great satisfaction and delight. A sense of gratitude too that indeed I am fortunate and lucky to be my father's daughter....