I did it MY WAY: June 2013

My friends often tell me that when it comes to birthdays (either mine or theirs), I get super excited. Sometimes even more than them to celebrate their day. Par kya karoon ? Aaj pata chala hain ki yeh toh genetic locha hain (This is genetic disorder).

I woke up today with a SMS saying, "Happy Birthday to me." And who else could that be other than my old man. So when I teased him he is getting too old to make a big deal out of his birthday, prompt came the reply, "Don't forget my age determines yours as well'. It will be wrong to call this jokestar my dad, 'coz he has been more like a friend to us. Always the life of any party with his humor and impromptu dance moves, I bet today he has quite few aces up his sleeve.

Honestly, I never felt any generation gap between us. He made our childhood Peter-Pan's like, taking us from the Never- Never land of pirates and magical creatures during the bedtime stories to the world of Harry Potter where we did mock spell duels(btw, the only spell he knows is "Lumos").There has never been a dull moment with him even when I was sick 'coz he sang me lullabies till I was old enough to remember the lyrics. Everything always seemed so right because he was always there to tie my hair ribbons, and shoe strings tight. They say Gemini dads are the best, and I got very lucky on that!

Growing up with him was like being a treated as a young adult ever since I can remember. He never built me a doll house, but instead made me a whole hydro-electric power project model for my science fair. We worked the whole night building the model out of plaster of paris, with him adding the minute details like where the worker camps should be during the construction of such project. He taught me not only to dream, but to dream big. And when I decided to leave home at 16, he was the only one who understood my need to be out there to find myself. I am glad he had always let me walk my own path, without burdening me with a list of do's and don'ts like most fathers. No wonder I hum “My heart belongs to daddy!” when I fix that bulb, pay my bills, negotiate with the boss, and say it how it is to the bank manager. Because in between fun and games, he taught me how to tackle life, be self-sufficient, emanate confidence, and build good relationships with men.

So on this day when you turned a year "younger", let me thank you for every single thing you've done for me in life, every single smile you've given me, every single tear that you've gulped on my behalf. And even though I am a bit far away, I promise when I am back home I will bake your favorite cake, and we shall toast to the new year of your life with your favorite whiskey (I will get that as well!). Love you Papa, you are the best!