Dear Son,
When you open this letter – rather, when you get to read this letter you probably would have turned 10. Kudos on that. Time flies. Yesterday, you were just a helpless toddler doing round trips around the house on your knees, pooping wherever and whenever you wished. But look at you now, all grown up. OK! OK! I won’t embarrass you anymore. Here’s a surprise for you.
From now onwards, you can browse through my bookshelf and pick any book of your choice. No more comics and jazzy stuff. Be a man. Expand your comfort zone.
I’m gonna tell you stuff which will help you in your formative years. Also, I always wanted to pass on my wisdom to someone equally capable….
- Run hard between the wickets and never hesitate to dive to stop the ball. Of course, I believe that you’ll be interested in cricket. And by the way, which team are you vouching for in this season of the IPL?
- Cultivate a hobby of your own. Be it doodling, trekking, painting, writing or whatever it may be. Keep practicing so that you get good at it. If you don’t like any of them, keep practicing and give it the time. You will start liking get used to it.
- Son, just remember PLATONIC relationships don't exist. It died a slow and a horrible death in my age. So don’t try that trick on any one of your friends who happen to be girls.
- Being my son you might have inherited most of the qualities from me. So that’s sufficient for you to get started but feel free to do some improvisations here and there. Let face it. The gags I did in my time will sure be passé. Hey! Don’t laugh. I won your mommy’s heart. Didn’t I?
- Being funny is a good thing but make sure that you don’t overdo it. You might come off as desperate and needy.
- When you look at my wedding pictures, you might wonder who is that moron that mommy is with? Don’t worry. It was me. Apparently, I don’t photograph well. I make funny/weird faces while I pose for a photo.
- I might seem a bit low on enthuse in your birthday pics and also you might have noticed that I am the only one without a hat. Yeah! That’s me. Mr. Misfit.
- Son, your mommy and I may not exchange phrases like ‘Love you darling’, ‘Take care hon’, we may not hug each other often but that doesn’t mean that we don’t love each other. It means that I am not comfortable in public display of affection and your mommy agrees too. BUT I promise. I’ll work on it and this is JUST for you.
- Son, Watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S before you get into College. Trust me, it will change your life forever. Your mommy and I are totally cool with you watching two people smooch on screen. Yeah we are super cool people.
- Develop a taste for wine and whiskey. But be aware of your limits. Always listen to your body.
And why did I write this letter? Only god knows. I always wanted to leave a note to my kith and kin from beyond and I have always wanted to see their expressions when they get to read it. Yeah! At times, I get these weird ideas and go bonkers. Nevertheless, no harm in trying. Right?
- Lots of Love
Dad