August week 1

Tiger Dad

One of my childhood fears was towards my father. I don't know if that was a legitimate fear or just a typical form of reverence towards all fathers, but I remember mine being a little more than that. This fear is not necessarily instigated from punishments for not living up to mark in terms of academic rather it's attributed to his overall strict and straightforward character. My siblings and I know very well when is the correct time to joke and when to be serious. I believe my father's no nonsense ways is derived from his upbringing as a young child. He knew what it was like to be faced with hardship, to be independent and toil for what he wanted all by himself. Indubitably, the strength to succeed with the equipment of a rigid, resilient and firm facet gets anchored as his nature, bringing it to present times. So, we children, my siblings and I, are expected of the same. We were corrected sternly for every small flop including being careless with things that end up spoiled or malfunctioning for it would mean wasting hard earned money.We try not to provoke his anger at all cost as one blow could befall us with many serious penalties and consequence. But don't get me wrong, even if I sometimes disagree with some actions I would deem unjust or murmur and complain in my heart, I know that my father means no harm. It's his way of teaching us priceless values in life, his way of instilling propriety in us even though he may unconsciously cause despair inside us. It took me years of growing up to understand what he has been doing all these while and to appreciate his form of love with a genuine believe that it's for "your own good" as he says it. Now, with this realisation there's less resentment and less of being upset whenever he corrects. As for the fear, it has been greatly allayed as my father has mellowed down and shows a very different, kinder, more compromising side of him. The children are more comfortable around him and we can smile and laugh together. At the same time, we are always reminded to stay within good behaviors and not to evoke that all too familiar vexation.

Will I exemplify his strict rules to my future children? Yes. Simply because the formula works.