The Greatest Daddy

Little Sonaal who was only five years old was praying before going to sleep. Mummy had taught him to say a prayer at bedtime, thanking the Lord for all he had given to him and also for begging forgiveness for all the wrongs committed during the day. As Daddy watched him pray, he heard the boy saying, “Dear God, thank you for loving me so much and giving me a great Dad and Mom. I’m sorry I hit my sister Kanya. When I am big, I want to be as good and as strong as my Daddy.” Dad laid him down, put the quilt over him and kissed him goodnight.

The following night, the prayer was similar, “Dear God, I know you love me. Sorry I lied to Mama about the chocolate. When I am big, I want to be strong and great like my Daddy.”

Each night, Sonaal prayed and one thing, which he never forgot to say was, “I want to be like my Daddy.”

Many nights passed, Daddy started wondering, whether he was really as good as his little boy made him out to be. He looked into himself and saw many faults. He was fond of drinking, he was lazy and had the habit of putting work off, he used to overeat so he was overweight, above all he was not in the habit of praying to God as his son was.

One night, after putting Sonaal to bed, Daddy sat down on his own bed and prayed, “Dear God, please make me all that my child thinks that I am. Make me such that, when my child is old enough to understand me, he should not see anything he does not like. I will try to improve myself Lord , please help me. I want to be good, for my child’s sake, because I love him very much.”

Children are taught at school and at home to respect their parents. If we as parents, would stop for a moment, to look into ourselves and ask, “Am I worthy of being respected? Am I all that I want my child to think I am? Am I all that I want my child to be when he grows up?”

If we can do this self introspection and improve ourselves, we have a better right and a better chance that our children will respect us and that God will love us.”