Dear Papa,
How are you?
I know we do not communicate our thoughts through letters anymore. Normally, it is just a minute-long phone call. We discuss about how our day was or how I am struggling with college exams and submissions or just you checking up on me and if I need something. And when it is more than a minute, we talk about family and friends. But I am writing this letter and to try and put my countless thoughts and feelings into some 600 words.
I have heard famous people giving award acceptance speeches. I have also seen the interviews of tsunami survivors. In all their stories, they mention obligations – people (or factors) who made the effort to help them throughout the process. I believe that every person, famous or not, has a story. As the story progresses, the characters build and we find our favourites. But what about the time before the story began? Well, everybody has a different answer to this question. In my case, the answer is you.
I remember when I, as a kid, could not sleep at night, you narrated to me stories of brave kings, queens and leaders. After listening to them, I would think of myself being a future version of one of them. The Queen would then sleep with an inspired mind. You pushed your important deadlines and meetings so that you could attend Parent-Teacher meetings in school. Every time we confessed our mistakes, no matter how big those mistakes were, you had the patience to sit down and talk to us and ensure that we knew that you will always be with us. Every time we were too afraid to confess or the times when we took to lying, you were still patient with us. Although it broke your heart, you were still patient. At night you would come back from work and make sure that everybody gets a happy sleep. You always did what was right for us even if that meant hours of tears and tough love. Of course, I did not realise it back then. But now that I am beginning to understand the importance of responsibilities, I realise how much effort and energy it took from your side to make sure that your kids were never alone, to make sure that they never fell short of motivation.
Your words put the storms in my mind at ease. Every day, I try to think more like you and become more like you. You have always taught me to be honest. While everybody else is trying to make their place in this world, you make me realise that I am my own world. While everybody else plays the blame-game, you teach me to take responsibility for my own actions. You’ve taught me that it is okay to be confused – it is important for evolution. You encourage me to look for motivation everywhere I go and to be confident enough to step into something new. You always make me feel like the brave people from the stories you told me when I was a kid. This chaotic and scary world appears a lot less scary because I know that you’re with me. You only want us to be able to learn from our mistakes and make the right decisions. Receiving regular reality checks from you, keeps us from forgetting about moving forward.
Thank you for bringing me out of so many disasters of life. Thank you for always believing and trusting me when everyone else was consoling me. I promise that I will make all your efforts count. I will always work hard and keep learning.
It is a blessing to have you in my life.
Take care.