Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.
I would like to begin by quoting this apt line by a great man, Sigmund Freud:
“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection”
When I think about my father, it is not only emotional but also puts an image in front of me. The image of a man who is hardworking, honest and simple. This is a man who has seen the world and understands its nuances. He has played the games that this world as made him play, he has learnt an art(or science for that matter) and knows how to earn in this world.
This is a man who is very selfless. He does not live for himself. He lives with a focus of feeding a family, keeping aside his own priorities. He understands that it is necessary to keep his personal preferences ot the side even if they are more comforting. This he does to keep in mind, the personal preferences of his wife and children.
When I read about how others say that their father is the best, I can resonate the thought. I know that theirs must be doing the same to keep their family alive and happy. I learnt from my father that- A father is a strong hold on inside affairs- to keep in control of things and maintaining security of the inside from the dark outer world. This requires courage and judiciousness of the right and wrong.
My father loves and cares my family entirely and makes no compromise when it comes to taking us to occasional trips for leisure and more understanding of life. He makes all possible efforts for us to go out, have dinners with family friends, be part of functions, experience the joy and to make me understand that the reason why we need to work hard in life, is for this joy.
He teaches by example. He is a tough coach and becomes harsh when results are required but understands that I am just a human and that I need my own time to grow. He respects me as an individual and says that there are certain things that I will be learning faster than the others and there will be certain things where I will be completely impossible about. He accounts for my inadequacies and provides me with ways to deal with them through his more than double the years of experience that he has.
A person with strong qualities to withstand outside pressures coupled with a heart filled with love and care for the family is a good father. This person commands respect and love from his family. My father teaches these things to me everyday through his own life, making him the most awesome person in my life.
