#MyFamilyMyPride ~ A lesson in self-reliance from my father!

Family plays an important role in making us who we are today. Their support, trust and love guides and motivates us in taking the right decisions and also having faith in our decisions.


I have been blessed with an understanding family. My father has always encouraged me to have faith in myself and strive to be more self-reliant. There are so many cases where I have faltered and only his trust in me has made me stand up again and strive again!


When I was a kid, I yearned to ride a bicycle but was equally afraid of falling from it. Result was that I constantly wanted my father to hold my cycle from behind so that if I started falling, he could balance the bicycle again and prevent the fall. Every time he told me to try myself and motivated me by saying that I had the capability to learn to ride and not fall but I still coaxed him to help me by saying that I would definitely try myself the next time. This kept happening for sometime and the supposed “next time” never came.


Then one day, again the same thing happened and I was happy that I had got my father to help me yet again. I climbed my sparkly pink bicycle and started pedalling, all the time confident that my father would save me from the fall. Soon, I became so engrossed that I went up to the park in the next colony. What was even more strange was that my father had not stopped me from venturing so far away. Confused and a bit scared of the upcoming scolding, I hopped off the bicycle and to my surprise could not find my father anywhere.

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Where had he gone?


Bewildered but somewhat shocked that I had pedalled my bicycle so far without falling. I climbed it again, turned and cautiously started back towards my house. As soon as I came near my house, I saw my father, mother and my grandmother standing outside as if waiting for someone. My father had a proud smile on his face and as I reached up to them and climbed down, I was engulfed in a tight hug by my family.


“I am so proud of you. You rode your bicycle without falling and you did this on your own. See, I told you that you had the potential to learn cycling on your own.” He beamed looking down at me, making me feel proud of myself and more confident. 


This was the first step towards self-reliance that my father had taught me. All through my life, he has kept telling me that I have the potential to do anything, be anything and to always have faith in myself. I am what I am today because of my father, because of my family. My family is my pride and I am so thankful to them for their love, support and trust in me.