Birthdays have a special importance in our family. A family-member's birthday celebration and devoting all your energy in making them feel extra loved takes precedence over any other occassion or festival of the year. And so, while my feelings are not restricted to this one day, I think my Dad's 60th birthday is the perfect time to articulate my affection for him.
I have been my daddy's girl (my mom still teases me and calls me pappa ni chamchi) ever since I could remember. When I was a child, I would not leave his side for a second. If you scan over old family photo albums you would find my father holding me in his arms in most of them. So much so that on a family vacation to Mussoorie when I was 3, I accidentally fell off a stopped bus window when I saw my father going to a nearby shop. Only because I wanted to go with him to that shop. Obviously I don't have any memory of this but I never doubted it and we always have a laugh when we talk about it even today.
My father has very actively participated in my brother's and my upbringing. We would wait for him in our balcony to return from work so we could spend all our evenings with him. He taught me math and science before my school teachers got to it so that one day I could be a good engineer like him. He taught me how to play and love the game of cricket so that one day I would have an active healthy lifestyle and appreciate the sportsman spirit. He took me all over India and helped me explore new places so that one day I would develop a passion for travel. He became my role-model while still being my friend. In a predominantly male oriented culture he never made me feel like I deserved to be or have anything less than anybody else.
Today more than ever I feel the physical distance between us bearing down on me. More than anything I wish that I was in India right now alongside my father celebrating his milestone. No amount of flowers or sweets or cakes that I send from here are going to express how grateful I am to have him as my father.
