As I hung up the call after another of the many fights my dad and I have had, I could not help but wonder why is it that we fight so much?
I mean, I am not even exaggerating when I say this. My sister and my dad hardly fight. It's like they know the secret peace code that exists between a father and a daughter. Me, on the other hand, well... my dad and I are more at war with each other.
Whether it is in person or over the phone we always have something or the other to argue and fight about!
Be it sports, politics, movie plots, fangirling over TV Shows, or how I am managing life in college and away from home, we never run out of topics to argue over.
So, today as I wonder what all my dad and I can argue over, I can't help but acknowledge the fact that he was right most of the time. (Not all the time!!)
Be it the nights before my math exams when he would yell at me and tell me how "DUMB" I was to make silly mistakes, to him being shocked that I have no doubts before my math exams now, all I can say is, "dad you were right" — practice and more practice is the key to knowing math.
Be it constantly bickering with each other or him yelling at me to do all of his petty household chores, because, let's face it, we are both equally lazy to do anything without any incentive. All I can say to that now is "thank you!" You and Amma not only made me efficient but it also taught me how to look after myself in college.
If I haven't mentioned this earlier, my dad and I are really competitive and love racing each other. We do it in the weirdest of places possibles. We weirdly enough compare one another to see who is the laziest person and have a constant argument about who is the picky eater out of the two of us. (For those of you wondering, it is my dad.) See, my mom and my sister are both super active, love every kind of food, and would never fit into the criteria of "picky." This is just mine and my dad's thing.
Now that I think about it, this relationship has taught me the importance of healthy competition, how to appreciate the small things in life, how to find happiness in the littlest of things, to enjoy whatever I am doing, and more importantly, to always appreciate the people I am with.
While my dad and I may argue about many things, (Yes, there are many additional issues I've not addressed for the benefit of this article.) all I can say is that there is no one else who could replace him.
He is the most humble, grounded, SMART, sarcastic, and sassy role model and superhero a girl could ask for.
We may argue a lot, but ask anyone how similar we are, and the list is endless. Our mannerisms, our laidback attitude, our love for the same genres, even how we look and shop -- it's all the same!
Ask anyone who I look like and the response is mixed. Some people find my resemblance uncanny to that of my mother, and the rest find me a carbon copy of my grandmother (my
As I end this article, I want to give a huge shoutout to both my parents for being amazing role models and teachers, for teaching me through the smallest of things. And I want to give an even bigger shoutout to my dad for his birthday! I miss you terribly, and love you even more APPA!
(Here's a picture of my dad casually vacationing with his friend in Rome.)
