ONLY A DAD





What is a Dad?

A Dad is a person who is loving and kind,

And often he knows what you have on your mind.

He's someone who listens, suggests, and defends.

A dad can be one of your very best friends!

He's proud of your triumphs, but when things go wrong,

A  dad can be patient and helpful and strong

In all that you do, a dad's love plays a part.

There's always a place for him deep in your heart.

And each year that passes, you're even more glad,

More grateful and proud just to call him your dad!

Thank you, Dad...

for listening and caring, for giving and sharing,

but, especially, for just being you!

...Author Unknown

 

Every time when people ask me who is my idol leader, I couldn’t help myself but to think of my late father. I believe leadership is not only for the powerful and the prominent. Millions of people offer profoundly inspirational leadership in their everyday lives. So it was with my father. He was not a Superman. He was an ordinary, everyday hero. He was a great man ... and not only a great man but also a great father and a great teacher.  He respected people around him. People love him. He lived a life of humility, decency, authenticity, and commitment. I was blessed to have such a great father.

Naturally outgoing and happy, he exercised quiet self-control even in the face of considerable adversity. He didn't lose his temper. He didn't curse or cheat or lie. By my measure, this is certainly the stuff of leadership. His achievement in life was not winning an election or getting a big promotion or living in a big house. Rather, it was leading a fine, long life and filling it with honour and love.

It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was…Anne Sexton

My father was a visionary. He knew the future would be bright for his children if we had an education. For him, education is a means to a higher quality of life, not a richer life. He made us aware of it consistently. The way he did and think make me want to be a person like he was. I remember one evening in 2004 when my father and I were sit in the backyard and enjoy our evening tea, my father told me that he believed I can be a very successful person in the future. He encouraged me to study hard so I could someday go to university and create my own life history.

My father was the best – there is no competition. He gave my family all he had and worked hard to upkeep the family. He loved us all to no end. He showed me what it really means to be a great person, as well as the importance of generosity, kindness, and respect. He has shown me the significance of hard work, dedication, discipline, and having strong morals. He has taught me how to live a life full of love, laughter, and friendships that will last a lifetime. His major influence on me is that he has made me a very determined person. I never give up, even if I feel my adversities can sometimes be overwhelming.

My Father was also a lifelong learner. Because of circumstances beyond his control, he didn't have the opportunity to go to a higher school. He taught himself to read. He never used a calculator in monitoring his inventory or managing his finances--everything was hand written after mental calculation. Beside his work as a government servant, he has also been a keen farmer too ever since I can remember. The vegetables and paddy he grew reflects the caring attention he gave to them and so to his family too.

            My father came from a poor family. When he was young, his parents did not have a lot of money. When my brothers and I don’t see something that we want to eat and then complain that, “There’s nothing to eat,” my father always tells us the same story. “You know, when I was young, all I had for a few days were ketchup rice... because that’s all we had –rice and ketchup.” Being forced to have that lifestyle when he was a young boy moulded him into a strong young man who learned to make the most of what he had. My father tells me stories of his young life, and that makes me feel so fortunate and grateful for everything that I have.           

ONLY A  DAD

Only a dad with a tired face,

Coming home from the daily race,

Bringing little of gold or fame

To show how well he has played the game;

But glad in his heart that his own rejoice

To see him come and to hear his voice.

Only a dad with a brood of four,

One of ten million men or more

Plodding along in the daily strife,

Bearing the whips and the scorns of life,

With never a whimper of pain or hate,

For the sake of those who at home await.

Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,

Merely one of the surging crowd,

Toiling, striving from day to day,

Facing whatever may come his way,

Silent whenever the harsh condemn,

And bearing it all for the love of them.

Only a dad but he gives his all,

To smooth the way for his children small,

Doing with courage stern and grim

The deeds that his father did for him.

This is the line that for him I pen:

Only a dad, but the best of men.

Edgar A. Guest

My father has been an enormous influence on me for many reasons. Inspired by my father, I have worked diligently toward my own goal even when I am strongly challenged. He instilled in me a positive attitude and always encouraged me with positive affirmations and telling me that nothing was impossible. During the challenging times I cannot help but recall my father's stories, of his own hardships as he worked toward a better future. His ability to improve his family's life has inspired me to always try my hardest to get the best out of life.  Thanks to him, I have more opportunities than he had at my age. I feel that if I do not take advantage of everything he has provided for me, I am being lazy and a disappointment to him. I believe that if my dad was able to achieve such a comfortable life with very little to start out with, I should be able to do the same because of all the advantages I have compared to him.

My father always stressed that I should respect each other. At work I always try to put on myself in the other person's shoes. I think it makes a lot easier to understand where someone is coming from. I realise that sometimes it is so difficult when someone has a different view than me and I don't understand why. However, I  have to really think about why they feel how they do and be more sensitive. I believe that people have much respect for those who can compromises and in the long run it shows, a lot.

 

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it (Clarence Budington Kelland). My father lived all of the lessons he has taught me.  He was showered with affection wherever he went and no enemies. I will always admire him in each and every way. His love and spirit will surely carry me through for the rest of the journey I have yet to make.…