My story today is a special one. Here’s the most precious gift I could have asked for! In a way it is the sum of my father’s various experiences or in other words, the essence of his life’s stories put together so it can be of some use.
24th April 2018
Dear Riddhi,
It is a very special day today. At the stroke of midnight you turn twenty-one. Which is a remarkable feat considering the klutz you are! I am also overjoyed by the fact that you can finally cross the road and make difficult calculations in regard to velocity and acceleration of moving objects, we call cars, and negotiate a crossing by adjusting your own speed. Belive me, that’s very advanced calculas.
Jokes apart, I am happy you are now in adult land and boring adult things will be expected out of you. You have fought so many battles and come out victorious. Yet, when I think of the juncture of life that you are at I cannot help but think not of the battles you have fought but of the battles that you will need to fight ahead. As your father, I can only enlist my life’s learnings as a ready reckoner for you. So here goes.
First off, remember that you are unique and beautiful.
God is a great concept. Sometimes He works, most times he does not. Have faith in God but you will have to fight your own battles.
How do you fight these battles? Choice! Your choice will determine your future. We are nothing but the sum of our choices, the roads we decided to travel. Choose wisely.
Never trust the person who says,“ Trust me, I know”.
Nobody knows anything for certain. The only knowledge that people have is dependent on the experiences they have. Learn from your own experiences.
You will have secrets. Never share them or one day someone will use them against you.
Never Will away anything while you are alive. And this means to no one!
You are what you desire. There are no extra points for being frugal. Desire the life of a Queen. Travel first or business and stay in good hotels. People will treat you the way you treat yourself.
Life is not fair. You will never get what you deserve. You will only get what you negotiate.
Failure is ineviatble, learn from it. You may think that failure is an event and not a person but the world seeks to hang the blame on someone. Take the blame gracefully.
The only revenge is success. The rest is just airing of failed ambitions.
There is nothing like loyalty and gratitude in others. Find it in yourself and that will be a great victory.
Don’t be too nice all the time. The world mistakes niceness for weakness.
Heartbreak is ineviatble, don’t fear it. Defy it.
Age and sense are not directly propionate. Don’t listen to nonsense from an older person. Starting with me and this letter. Decide for yourself.
Be charitable. Don’t lend money expecting it back.
Don’t borrow. Please don’t steal.
Don’t get into politics. Anywhere in life. Cunning people are those who cannot be courageous. Choose courage over cunning.
Don’t marry in a hurry. Don’t marry to suit someone else’s deadline. Ideally don’t marry at all, its a defunct institution but make your own decision on that!
Assholes are everywhere and they have various kinds of disguises. Keep them away.
Be wary of the ones who flatter.
Don’t ever enter a door that opens before you knock, figuratively speaking, of course.
Don’t be honest when it might hurt someone. Honesty is a virtue not a weapon.
As you grow older drift away from the vices. There are better ways to kill yourself.
Work at being self reliant.
Don’t look for someone to make you happy. That always ends in disaster. Happiness is a habit. Don’t mistake it for a person or an eventuality.
Self respect is good. Ego is not. Be arrogant with the one who is arrogant.
Don’t ever pity yourself. Everything that happens happens cause you let it.
It’s not possible to seek fame without being in love with yourself.
There is nothing like the “art of living”. There is no art in a dog eat dog world.
Spirituality is also a painkiller.
I have yet to see the effect of karma on a bad person. Do good because you should and not as a celestial trade off. God will punish you, is nonsense.
Love will never last. That’s the bad news. You will fall in love again and again. That’s the good news.
You are free to chuck all this advice out of the window.
If I had taken all this advice I would have been a rockstar and not writing a letter to you on your 21st birthday but if the humiliations and setbacks of my life are not useful to you then it would be a real waste of insight.
Lastly, I love you unconditionally. Regardless of your choices. I would love you even if you choose to join Al Qaida or be a self detotonating terrorist, though I seriously urge you not do that. I also think that is a serious waste of well put together protoplasam.
Happy Birthday my darling. You are the embodiment of all my dreams.
Love
Papa.
This letter will be my Temple. Pa, you’ve indeed been the best father one could ask for. Thank you for being my role model, my best friend & my loneranger. Pa, love you beyond words can express.
Lessons of a lifetime at one place… beautiful and so apt.. just… sanest advice I’ve ever come across in my life… going to read this one more than thousand times❤ Arsee, you’re truly blessed to have a wonderful dad like him ☺
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❤❤
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Reblogged this on Thinking Chitalia and commented:
A letter from the man that taught me –
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
Our normalcy is in our madness.
Time gave us a little bit of a run, but there’s nothing some swimming can’t fix.
I love you Papa, the most special man in my world ❤x
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Reblogged this on johncoyote and commented:
A wonderful letter shared. Love make us and love can save us.
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A precious letter. Thank you for sharing.
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Gratitude. tons and tons of Gratitude John 🙂
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You are welcome Riddhi.
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🙂 x
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Hey this is, I mean, I don’t know. No words. I love your Papa too. Thank you for the letter. 😁😃😅
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Haha. Gratitude. tons and tons of Gratitude 🙂
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😁
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Reblogged this on just another writer and commented:
A must read….
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Excellent words for a better living. Loved every word of it. Wise man your Papa and words too….
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thank you Anamika x glad you loved it.
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Of course I loved you, your Papa and the fact you decided to share it with us…👍
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much love always x
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You are so blessed to have such an amazing father — and we too, for sharing him with us! Thank YOU! Wish you a beautiful life – this moment and always 🙂
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gratitude. tons and tons of gratitude X
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The content of your father’s letter to you, Riddhi, strikes me as exceptional, but I am even more impressed by how well his letter expresses his love for you. I think that is what most makes the letter extraordinary. Just my two cents.
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yea no one in this world can love a girl more than her father. thank you Paul ❤ x glad you loved it.
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You’re probably right about that, but I know some men who would take your words as a challenge!
I have long been aware that fathers tend to teach their daughters how they should be treated by men. Girls with great fathers tend to expect and demand to be treated well.
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That was beautiful. I felt every word.
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A masterpiece of love.
Vicky
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🙏🍀🌷 very thoughtful, happy birthday and god bless you and family.
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This is really wonderful. It’s all lessons one could hope to receive in a single letter.
Wow . Thanks for sharing. I wouldn’t want to say more, as beware of flatterers.
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Thanks for the many likes in my blog posts and for sharing this wonderful letter Riddhi !!!
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How blessed you are to have such a father!
Thanks for the follow 🙂
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Wow. He have shared gems with you that will last your lifetime. Only a father can have this unconditional love for daughter. I felt every word.❤️
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I nominated you for Sunshine Blogger Award. Link is below. If you do not wish to participate, it’s totally cool! Love, Tamara
https://monikajeneva.wordpress.com/2020/07/17/blogger-award-sunshine-bbycgn/
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I am totally in love with this letter and all the love coming from it
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This is fantastic 👏
I have a blog too… Do check it out
Don’t forget to like and follow
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So special and beautiful!
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This is beautifully written ❤️
I have a blog, do check it out…
Please like and follow too
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