पिता धर्मः पिता स्वर्गः पिता हि परमं तपः।
पितरि प्रीतिमापन्ने प्रीयन्ते सर्वदेवताः॥
पितरौ यस्य तृप्यन्ति सेवया च गुणेन च।
तस्य भागीरथीस्नानमहन्यहनि वर्तते॥
सर्वतीर्थमयी माता सर्वदेवमयः पिता।
मातरं पितरं तस्मात् सर्वयत्नेन पूजयेत्॥
मातरं पितरंश्चैव यस्तु कुर्यात् प्रदक्षिणम्।
प्रदक्षिणीकृता तेन सप्तदीपा वसुन्धरा॥

This “Sanskrit Shloka” states that-

Dad is “Dharma” for his child, dad is “Heaven” for his child, and dad is the “Ultimate Penance” of his child’s life.

If dad is happy, all deities are happy. So through service and virtues, a child should keep his/her dad and mom pleased.

By doing this the child gets the blessings of bathing in the Ganges every day.

Mom is omniscient in nature; dad is the form of all deities.

That is why parents should be worshipped in every way.

Taking a round around the parents is similar to revolving around the Earth.

My dad, “Ashokkumar Ghela”, was born on 6th August 1958. He is a” Leo” as per the zodiac sign.

Leo’s zodiac sign is represented by a “Lion”. And he truly is the “King of the House”.

From my childhood, I have seen him working hard and being the “Best Dad in the World”.

He has provided my brother and me with “Everything” – food, good education, financial security and the important thing – A Loving and a Protected house.

Dad is the girl’s first “Role Model”. He is intelligent, hardworking, dedicated and a self-made Man.

There are many qualities that I wish to imbibe from him. But these 5 qualities are his major attributes.

The 5 qualities that I Wish to imbibe from my Dad are –

1. Patience

I remember one of my childhood incidences –

We had a “Kajukatli box” (sweet) at home. I ate almost 3 to 4 pieces of “Kajukatli” whereas, my dad was relishing on that one piece of “Kajukatli” that he had picked up from the sweet box even before me.

As a child and even now, when I am hungry, I will get impatient very soon. And when I have food on my plate I will gobble it.

My dad, on the other hand, even today, eats his food with patience. Enjoying each bite of food slowly.

Patience is a hard-earned discipline so it needs practice. The more you practice being patient the more patient you become.

As patience gives you direct control over yourself it is the most powerful aid to success than self-possession.

2. Silence

Anyone who meets my dad knows that he is more of a “Listener” than a “Speaker”.

Being silent has not only made him a “Good Listener” but also a good observer.

My mother and I talk to the guests more than my dad. My dad sits silently and listens.

When the guests left, my mother and I wouldn’t remember most of the conversation. Whereas, my dad would know the nature and the personality of the guest better than us.

Silence is considered a type of meditation. Silence gives you stillness, more awareness of your surroundings and makes you a good observer.

3. Punctuality

My dad is a “Mechanical Engineer”. He retired a few years back.

When I was studying in school, I have always seen my dad wake up with me and get ready. We both used to leave home at the same time.

He would first drop me at my school bus stop and then go to his office.

I have never seen him take a holiday from work or be late for work. Maybe seeing him go to work daily, I too had never taken a holiday or leave from school.

Being punctual in life shows your leadership qualities and is the main element of professionalism.

Being on time shows that you possess organisational and management skills.

Punctuality at work is closely related to faithfulness and dependability in the workplace.
He has worked in the same office for 39 years!!!

4. Respect

From childhood, I have noticed that whenever he met someone or guests came home, my dad and mom gave them immense respect.

From a baby to a teenager, my dad has always been respectful toward them. So, the children in our family are fond of him.

He would allow and still allows children to touch all things around the house. He is never worried about things breaking, he is more attracted to the child’s curiosity.

My brother and I have broken many things around the house but he would never scold us. He would sit with us and help us fix the thing broken.

Respect is a two-way street. If you want others to listen to you, give them respect and you will receive it too.

5. Gratitude

Even today, he tells my brother and me, that he was and is lucky to have reached a “Successful Position in Life”.

He is grateful for the incidences that took place in his life.

It wasn’t an easy thing for him to acquire an education. My grandfather didn’t have enough money to educate his children.

My father has gone through a lot of struggles to achieve his education. He had just 2 pairs of clothes when he was a student.

He was sometimes looked upon by the “Society” because he didn’t study in an English medium school. But today the same people look at him with respect.

His hard work and devotion to God has made him a “Self Made Man”.

Every day I have seen him pray. During his office days, he prayed in the morning. Now he prays in the morning and evening to offer his gratitude toward God.

Gratitude develops your empathy levels and reduces aggression. Being grateful also improves your self-esteem.

Grateful people always appreciate other people’s accomplishments. Which I can vouch for as I have always seen my dad happy when people get promoted at work or buy houses or cars.

Being grateful increases your happiness quotient.

I am so very grateful to have a father like him.

The shloka written in Taittiriya Upanishad also describes that –“Dad is God”.

Matharu Devo Bhava

Pithru Devo Bhava

Aacharya Devo Bhava

Athidhi Devo Bhava.

The Shloka states that –

Honour your Mom as God.

Honour your Dad as God.

Honour your Teacher as God.

Honour your Guest as God.

In simple words, it means to respect your Mom, Dad, Teachers and Guest as they all are “Equivalent to God“.