Father's Day

Since the passing of my father, I’ve felt quite bitter every Father’s Day knowing that my father was not here.

Father’s Day at our home was a special affair, there would be some pre-planning that went into what exactly we would get him, there was always something bought and something handmade. Not because we could not afford to buy him stuff, but rather because in my home, handmade was special, it said “I love you enough to make something of my own hands for you.”

We would all lurk around, waiting for my daddy to go for his shower, and then there would be a scurry of activity as we rushed about trying to arrange all his gifts just perfect on his dresser. After which, we would quietly retreat to our respective spaces, ears pricked up for sounds of the bathroom door opening. We knew it would take him a few minutes to carefully open his gifts, read his cards and then come around the house hugging and kissing us to say thanks! What a special memory that is, one that never fades. It is so deeply ingrained that it is like a moving picture in my mind.

So how do I still honour Father’s Day this year and make the day special for AkaShabd without feeling that familiar bitterness? To be honest, until Akash woke up on Father’s Day and we gave him his Father’s Day gifts, I expected that familiar bitterness to creep in. It did not. Instead, when I saw Akash’s eyes widen in surprise and his smile widen even more at the sight of his gifts, I imagined this is what my daddy felt every year. 



Father and son spent the morning in bed, teaching each other how to operate the cordless screwdriver and which drill bit would be best to remove the stubborn screws in Shabd’s room (that’s being renovated at the moment, but that’s a topic for another blog). They hugged, and cuddled and argued about who gets to play with which part of present. I sat with my camera and tried to capture the love and smiles, the laughter and the joy, but a camera does no justice to the event. It captures images, but not emotions. So I quietly sat on my couch and watched on over my boys playing, and I thought of my daddy and prayed he was watching over this little scene, wishing him a happy Father’s Day!





A father always watches over his child



Daddy is always watching over us!