In the never-ending journey of acquiring knowledge and education, we get lost in grasping a handful of priceless values which aren’t taught in schools, but rather, homes. The fancy degrees on a piece of paper don’t really count until someone learns to inaugurate empathy within themselves. It's father's day today, and we have all been coming across beautiful posts, images, etc. Since my daughter Waziba can't write a blog, on behalf of her, I am writing this as a young father. I decided I’ll take the challenge to make her embrace the following learnings which she should escort for the rest of her life.
I want Waziba to address or chauffer as Uncle. When I ask her how her day went, sitting inside my office room, I want her to say, “Baba, I saw a lot of puppies on our way home from school, as Uncle stopped the car so they could cross the road.” For a person who supports us every now and then by helping us reach another destination, he should definitely not be referred to as ‘driver’.
I want my daughter to address our maid as Apu, or maybe Aunty. Waziba should not call her ‘Bua’ at any cost, because she doesn’t deserve to be termed like that after making our lives easier by looking after our house.
Nowadays, many people do not address their elders with a heartwarming Salaam. I am trying to teach Waziba to not only convey a Salaam, but to teach her to reply to a Salaam properly.
Lastly, I want my daughter to learn the act of sharing. When I ask her who helped her finish the cookies in her tiffin box, I want her to say that she shared with her friends. When she grows up and I ask her who brought her that storybook, I want her to say that she exchanged one with her friend for a time period.
It makes me grin every time I see my baby daughter holding a packet of chips or candy bar in her hand; she doesn’t get rid of it. Instead, she keeps the disposable item until she finds a trash can.
I know that as years go by, my list of these visions will get longer. Every parent wants their children to achieve, and live happily. As a young parent, I can always hope for my daughter to not just achieve success through education, or career, but these values.
Happy Father's Day