Skip to main content

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all fathers.

Its the day to remember the sacrifices you have made and the sweat you have put in to raise your children. I mean just look at you - working day and night, often against your will, submerging your desires to bring in finances, giving up your dreams to cherish the dreams of your children, why you deserve a big thank you!!

Today, things are even tougher for you. You have to figure out mind-boggling decisions - how much freedom to give your kids, how much to indulge them? The toughest nut to crack is how to instill good values and discipline in their minds without being preachy. Poor dad - how does he remain a figure his kids can look up to, yet not be intimidated by? Children today are miles ahead of you, you cannot demand their respect on account of position alone, you have to earn it.

The traditional roles of the father as the provider, and the lord and master of the house have undergone massive transformation. Also the father may not be the sole breadwinner anymore. A stay-at-home father has it twice harder to win over the confidence of his children. Societal norms are changing faster than you can blink. Today, you have to be a friend, but not someone your children can walk over. A confidant, a role-model, a protector, a counselor. All conflicting, contradicting roles.

To top it all, your kids will just leave you one fine morning to carry on with their lives. Then you are left with your empty nest, clutching memories of busier days left behind. Only look forward to an occasional meeting with them, when their busy schedule permits. Overnight the roles change, and you become the dependent one.

Tough times ahead for fathers, but we know our men will rise up to it. All the best fathers!!! 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Enough! No more rape!

The recent horrifying, stomach-churning incident in Kolkata is not a one-time aberration. It keeps occuring in our country. And we women are also responsible for this stinking rot in society. Ask yourself these uncomfortable questions. How many of you protest when a girl wearing "revealing clothes" is cat-called?  Did you show your support for our wrestlers protesting against a habitual offender? Did your blood boil when you saw pictures of our sisters in Manipur paraded naked?  When rapists are released from prison or routinely escape punishment, do you raise your voice? How many of you have tolerated violence or even casual sexism in your own home? Do you turn the other way when transgenders are leered at? Do you grin and bear it when the men in your family crack obscene jokes? Do Kathua and Hathras ring a bell? And lastly, how many of you thronged cinema halls to make misogynistic horrors like Animal and Kabir Singh blockbusters? I have asked myself and am distinctly feeli...
Post a Comment
Read more

All We Imagine as Light- Lyricism on Celluloid

When an Indian film makes it the prestigious Cannes film festival, the world sits up and takes notice! And the lovely ladies swinging on the stage is a recent memory that brings a sense of pride. I had the good fortune to catch this film on screen recently. A review of such work is unnecessary, but still am bursting to say a few words. Right from the scintillating background score, to the events that unfold like pages fluttering in an open book, to the effortless performances, it's a masterpiece all right! The first half romances Mumbai- in the rains, at night, in the bazaars, in dingy rooms, in the local trains. Image source: Wikipedia  The second half shows what light truly is, brilliant sunshine, crashing waves and salty air in a small coastal village in Maharashtra. You can feel the taste of salt, the breeze in your hair and the touch of sand under your feet, the cinematography is so real. Payal Kapadia masters the art of holding back, of showing beauty in the mundane. The hosp...
Post a Comment
Read more

Laapataa Ladies - the Unfortunate Story of Lost Women

Laapataa Ladies is a deceptively simple, yet extremely thought-provoking satire couched in a simple story of exchanged brides. Image Source: IMdB This is the unfortunate story of countless ordinary women living under the veil, in the shadow of uncaring men. Who can't remember any details of their husband or the sasural they are married into. Who are trained only to obey their husband, do their duty in the kitchen, and follow orders of in-laws. Who don't have the liberty to study or do something for their own betterment. What can we expect for such women, except a lifetime of slavery? If the husband happens to be good, then there's some ray of hope. If he's a rascal, then God save her. Thanks to Kiran Rao for addressing the woes of 80% of Indian women living in nameless villages. And thanks for calling out the "greatest fraud" - the fraud of getting ready for marriage and domesticity. Where you can make the perfect kalakand, but you can't find your way...
Post a Comment
Read more