Raghuraman

Every father and mother has the welfare of their children as their primary focus and their time and energy will be given always. The roles played vary with the child’s age and needs, nevertheless in the whole process a close bond is established and it remains unchanged. In quiet moments this is recalled it and it always brings a smile, happy feelings and moments of bliss.

When it comes to writing the thoughts of a father and what he would want to communicate to his son, the following are some of the main aspects that come to my mind as a father myself who is a very close friend and well wisher to my sons:

- Life is precious and equally fragile. So everyday is a gift. Try and live it to the best of your ability in any given opportunity.

- Be aware of every passing second. Watch all the activity happening around you- it will make you active. It may be the birds going about in search of food, the sun coming out in the eastern horizon, flower buds opening out or pet animals happily playing with one another. Time and space never remains constant.

- Appreciate your mother’s cooking. Praise it to Heaven! Make it a habit to eat together as a family, rather make it a rule, and a special rapport will form in the family.

- Follow your Heart. The mind will waver, but the heart seldom does. Respect the voice of your inner conscience for decision and direction.

- Seek a job which you will enjoy doing as you enter the stage of careers and cocktails. It is possible that you will get sucked in to the vortex called the rat race, but never be overwhelmed. We all are human, but we need to have the courage to step out of it. Nothing will be lost, only some illusions will shatter. Consider this a good riddance.

- Money is important. Earn well, adequately to support your family needs, your plans for future, savings for rainy days and retirement and for paying back to parents and society for their help in making you what you are today. Enjoy the pleasure of earning but never allow money to control you or your conscience. Remain balanced and humane. This is a very useful and very powerful tool to give you strength and propel you forward so use it very carefully.

- Find your love and hold on dearly. Be a good father and husband. Give your children space to make mistakes but be available to help and hold them when they fall. Your being with them should make them happy and confident.

- Speak up when you have to. Try not to live in a state of fear, fear changes nothing. Encourage the formation of an environment where there is respect, care and concern for each other. The power and initiative is in your hands as is with everyone.

- Don’t have regrets, however learn from the mistakes and, wherever possible, make early and quick amendments. Do not carry grudges as it does not help anyone.

- An unlimited capacity and potential is within you. It is your job to discover, unearth and make it useful to you and your society. Great discoveries of science have not been made by accident but from consistent and hard effort. Never get discouraged by failure of efforts, they are only stepping stones to success.

- Follow the example of a master or guide but decide your own direction.

- We can not be perfect or right all the time. Slips and failures can happen, it is part of life, but as long as you realize that your positives are better and higher than your negatives you have nothing to fear.

- Caring words are not enough to express the care and concern reflected through a sister, mother, wife, grandmother or great grandmother. From our very beginnings through growth, development and our current situations they have played an important role and continue to have a special status. They are the very foundation of our existence. We have confidence in their opinions and judgments. We have to continue this excellent and supportive tradition without any reservation, hesitation, influence or egotism.

I will continue to remain proud of you, my dear son. May you be blessed with growth and achievement.

Take care

Your Father