Tip 216: Never give up on life's challenges

It takes a dad to understand a dad's contribution. It is because only a dad would understand the burden and weight of expectations of a dad once he carries it himself. Sometimes the expectation is self-imposed. Nevertheless, the burden remains. Whether it is at home when interacting with wife and kids, or at work when managing work duties, or at the supermarket when managing the budget, or at the investment house when managing future cash flow, or at a government office to follow up on complaints for sustainable living, or at church, school or hospital when managing child's education and development, a dad faces numerous challenges each day. To appreciate a father, we need to weigh less on the outcome of a father's contributions, but to esteem the fact that the father is still running the race and have not given up on the challenges.



I watched a movie and remembered a quote. "Life is hard. Marriage is more difficult." It is true that with our unlimited wants and ambitions and towering expectations from our loved ones and society, life can only be hard. It is harder for some with limited abilities, talents and intelligence facing the risk of making wrong choices. Actually, it may be even harder for some who are blessed with more in life, the ability to dream dreams and want a better life as they would thus have higher mountains to climb which presents bigger challenges. The more knowledge of good and evil, the higher the chance to sin. Besides just performing duties, each of us are faced with fleeting temptations each day, natural disasters and dangerous people. It must be an achievement for any dad to raise their kids over two long decades considering the many sacrifices rendered.

It is father's day soon. A friend thanked me for my contributions on the blog. She said she was inspired reading them. But she could not take it upon herself to reconcile with her dad so soon. Each of us have different expectations of what a dad ought to do and be. I used to be the same. But now, as a dad myself, I realized that my kids ought to be thankful that I am still alive and have not given up on life. When we appreciate our fathers, we are in effect recognizing that life is hard. Someone gave up their own life to create another. Sometimes, this person may have failed in many of the ideal expectations of a dad. Yet, this person is still alive today and the kids are also growing up through the many contributions of this father. Any father have many weaknesses like all of us do. Yet, he pressed on and continued in the race to fulfil some of his duties, if not all. Who else can do that? Only a father who has some amount of love in his heart. Can we question the measure of a father's love, when no one else have done the same? Thank you dad for not giving up on life's challenges.

(Photos show Haruka in numerous coin operated rides in Singapore. If only life is just a predictable ride that needs only a coin).