By Somaira Arshad

Image: Freeimages

Only this Fathers Day when I sat to think about him as an undeniable in my life I came to this pleasant realization that my dad was definitely one of the best fathers, if not a perfect dad. While none would play a perfect role as a parent, there are not many parents who know how to boost their kids’ confidence in order to empower and strength their personalities.

Parenting is one such relationship where you always try to give your best to your kids. My father had been a very special influence in my life in a variety of ways as he introduced me to some very powerful tools that I would use in order to live a potentially contented life. He showed me the importance of reflection. He helped me be a thinker and ask questions about what is so obvious and what is not. He taught me to stop, challenge, reflect, analyze and evaluate before giving in to my own ideas or opinions. He constantly encouraged me to be curious in order to learn and do things for myself and thereby endowed me with a deep insight about life.

I owe him this immense feeling of contentedness that comes with a realization of being able to be in charge of my own thoughts and emotions.  He familiarized me with the wonder and power of my inner self. Whenever I felt despondent over one or other omissions in life he would tell me the story of how he had once observed me as a toddler where I was trying to unlock a keepsake that I was so curious to look inside. He would tell me how amazed he was to see that I was able to open the same after I made uncountable trials and did not give up on any one of them. Thanks to his auspicious words of encouragement and well-timed appreciation I internalized the idea of being invincible in my ability to always keep trying. With all those pitfalls in life I’ve never ceased to exist. Whatever comes my way I am eventually able to do the handful, if not sooner than later. Giving up has never been an option for me. I will always be thankful for the good feeling that his love and attention had wrought.

Parents encourage and empower their kids in myriad ways. They help them discover their inner talents while helping develop a few more. My father was a big help in making me develop mine. In subtle ways he encouraged me to express myself through reading and writing. My power of expression helps me let go of my burdens meanwhile helping me achieve my goals in life.

While I recall, I see that my dad was not able to spend a lot of time with me. We didn’t even play a lot of games together. There were times when financial or/and familial problems kept us estranged from each other. We had to live many years as a troubled family; I even had episodes of disagreements and conflicts with him. In spite of all difficult situations that we had to go through as a family; he was able to help mould my spirits into a strong entity that could take care of itself and could inspire others to do the same. I owe him the most if not all of my achievements in life.

My father made me understand how in the words of Fredrick W. Faber, there’s something ultimate in a fathers love, something that cannot fail, something to be believed against the whole world. Thanks for being there dad. Thanks for turning your little doll into this mighty girl that I am today.

About the author:

Somaira Arshad resides in Mississauga, Ontario. She is a mother of three and works as a teacher with Toronto and Peel District School Boards. Throughout her career she has been a technical writer, a freelance journalist and a language and math teacher for intermediate/high school and special needs children. Her vast teaching experience and valuable exposure with a variety of children gives her an insight into teaching and parenting practices.

As daughters, we all share a very special and precious bond with our fathers. What are your most fond memories of your father? How has he shaped you into who you are today? Let’s pay a tribute to these men in our lives on the Muslim Moms forums!