To my daughter Kranti on her 25th Birthday

Dearest Kranti: 25 years has gone by and you are still my little girl. Life experiences have made you the youngest, mature woman I have come across. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have points to offer. That little girl who stole my friends’ heart and mine has been and become the daughter one would ever wish for. All that one wishes in this world for their daughter is to have a life of happiness and peace. You drove home the point by making us accept that everything any parent wishes for is decided by their children to fulfill and you have come to accept responsibility for your actions and live with the consequences based on your actions. You have expressed gratitude and have accepted the unquestioned love to deal with life circumstances but never once did I see you throw up your hands and blame it on fate. You are strong, sometimes more than I would want, you are kind that I am proud of, you are loving that makes one want to experience the unadulterated nectar of our creation and you are human with all the emotions in full display. You have established your identity. You have withstood the test of time. You have spread your love in all corners. You gave happiness to all you have come across and became an example of how life can be shaped by acceptance of what life has to offer, how to live life without regrets, how to make any situation a learning experience and how to become that person we all strive to become as age advances. We argue but we compromise. I see in you a reflection of me when I was your age. It scares me at times but then, I made my life an acceptable one. Did I? A quarter century is a time worth well spent if you believe that life has to offer a lot more than what one has experienced. A future of hope, a present of being here and now and a past of reminiscence is all that I wish for. Not to forget that I love you so dearly and carry with me the wonderful wishes for my daughter that can never be surpassed.

With Lots and lots of Love Dad