Lifesaver

There are many things I learnt from my dad, but one that stood out particularly was contentment.

It has been a part of me since childhood and has become an even bigger part of me as an adult. I do not go about inconveniencing people because of my needs or feel entitled to what belongs to someone else. I believe in working hard for what I want. And if I need to ask for help and someone is unable to help, I do not feel bad.

Why? Because they owe me nothing.

In friendship, this is also evident. I am not covetous of my friends’ possessions. I do not use familiarity as permission to take what belongs to them or make demands as though what is theirs is mine. Thankfully, my friends have always related to me in the same way.

This is one of the values I am deeply grateful to have learnt from my dad, and one of the things I will miss about him.

I have never seen anyone come to our house to claim that my dad had crossed a boundary. Neither did he speak badly about people simply because they were doing better than him. Another person’s success did not make him bitter or jealous.

Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash

He believed in hard work.

He sponsored himself through secondary school, college of education, and university. Along the way, he worked as a supervisor at an industrial company, took on manual jobs, and did whatever honest work was necessary to keep moving forward. He also constantly encouraged young people not to rush into making money through scams.

His dedication to work and his refusal to be lazy were a testament to the kind of man he was. Yet, he was content with what he had. He worked for what he wanted without constantly comparing himself to what others had.

He also had a way of making things easier for the people around him. He did not wait for someone else to get things done when he could do them himself.

To me, he lived a fulfilled life.

His values will stay with me constantly. Contentment is only one of many things I learnt from my dad.

There are more stories to tell.