I remember missing my father a lot in my growing up years. He left us and went away after I was born. My mom brought up me and my sister alone. She never talked much about my father. Infact she never talked at all. I didn’t pay much attention to it as a kid but in my teen age years I used to wonder how it would be to have a father.

I used to watch my friend’s father and feel pangs of jealousy. I still remember that day clearly. I was at my friend’s house playing cricket. His father joined us and we had such fun together. I had never experienced that kind of joy before. I came back home feeling extremely sad. My mom as always knew without my saying a word that I was sad. I told her everything.

I knew I made my mom very sad but she just laughed. The very same day, she made a plan and we all – me, my sister and my mom went for a trip. We had the time of our life there. My mom made sure that we were happy and didn’t miss out on anything.

My mom and sister gave me the emotional security in life. As I grew up, I understood the pain that my mother always hid from me. The pain of being alone in the world.

My mom and my sister always taught me to be a good human being first. Family was most important always. I decided long back that I will try to be a good son, husband and above all a good father to my kids. My kids will never be jealous of their friends with fathers. They will always have a father who will look after them. Always.

God has been kind to us. Me and my sister have happy families today. We both have understanding spouses and loving kids. We could make these families because we grew up as complete individuals in the care of our loving mother. She made sure that one broken home didn’t lead to two more broken homes.

I am proud of my mom. I will always strive to make her a very proud mother.

Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The next weekend was a very busy one. The house was full of people. It was the annual get together that ‘common man’ and his sister planned every year with great detail. The kids played happily with their cousins. There was good food, stories and lot of happy chats. Common man saw his mom sitting happily in the middle playing with all her grandchildren like a kid herself. A tear full of happiness dropped from his eye. He was a happy man.