Father's Day

 It's funny, but my daughters and I had an impromptu chat over WhatsApp just the other day. So that felt like Father's Day, though their Mother was also a part of it. The father in a typical urban family has been variously described as an ATM, a genie who fulfills every wish of his kids, a provider of bread (and cake?) , and so on. Which is all true, to an extent in a typical family where the mother is a housewife. My parents were both working all their life, so we were atypical, in a sense.

Now both my daughters are independent, more in line with today's women, so I am not really into 'getting them married etc.' It will happen when it has to, as per their wishes. But just reflecting on the years of fatherhood while they were still at home and dependent, it feels like a joyful roller-coaster of the type you see at Disneyland. Disney did a pretty good job of simulating life through those. There are many moments-some captured in photographs and some not-worth remembering. The birth, the birthdays, and the first day of school, or college, for example. Their perspectives on life, from time to time. Boyfriends, and breakups included, these days.

It's a nice experience, with them becoming your technology tutors in return for your teaching them A,B,C.. They did not get me on the blog, but they did get me on facebook, and I am happy they did. I got in touch or maintained touch with so many people, through just fb. 

Just some reflections.  

Father's Day Thoughts

 My father was a cool guy, and we saw lots of Hindi movies together. We drove to the theatre in a Ford Prefect 1955 that my parents had acquired, to the movie hall, since I was 8 or so.. almost any film would do. Jewel Thief is one I remember seeing early when I was a kid. 

He was also into photography, and had a folding camera- German make, I think. We have plenty of black and white pics from that period. Some studio pics also, to boot.

Travel was another of his passions, and I have continued, at least till recently when the Coronavirus slowed things down.

He started humbly and grew to be an admin. head of Stores at a coal mining company, so had no airs at all. He also knew how to cook, and made a special recipe of Kashmiri Mutton Curry almost every Sunday. We kids loved it. 

We do pick up at least some traits from parents or elders. I did not pick up gardening, which he was passionate about. I remember him planting a variety of plants each year, and used to know some names too. 

He loved kids, and we were lucky he was around when our first daughter came home..