Superhero

I am on my Raya and Merdeka holiday right now so for two weeks I'm at my lovely home, a very long break from my work. So the other day while watching a movie on my laptop, my niece, Zahra, came to me with a box in her hand. "Uncle," she said, "I have a present for you". She opened the box and there was a Superman figurine which her mother bought from McD in it.



A Superman? That's good. I guess she wants me to be her superhero then. Unfortunately, I am anything but superhero. But I guess, for kids, you are already a superhero for them when you can show them that you can listen to what they have to say or always be there when you need them.

I am not married yet and I have no idea what kids really need from their fathers. But if I can make a guess, it is not enough just to provide the materials for the kids, but also to talk to them, or simply interacting with them. I mean, how do you expect kids to listen to you when you do not take the time to listen to them and dismissing them without giving them a chance to express themselves? I have seen too many cases where fathers who are supposed to be with their kids 'delegated' the job to either their wife or their mother/mother in law. I just hope that if I ever get to be a father one day, I will not just provide the money but also my time and never to make my kids longing for my presence in their lives. That is the worst part, when your kids do not even care if you are around them.

I am lucky in some way as I at least have a healthy relationship with my father. We have small talks and we discuss things. It is a pity when people who still have their parents do not even care about their parents or ask how their day was. That is the least that you should do. Karma will hit you big time later when you have kids and your kids do not even care about you, that is what I fear the most. How you treat your parents will almost certainly have some impact on how your kids will treat you in the future. There is this story about a man who takes care of his parents even when his parents have turned into pigs as his parents had committed sinful acts that they are transformed into pigs. Yet, he still took care of his parents and they were rewarded in the afterlife.

In in the end, when you fail to appreciate what you already have, neglecting those who you are supposed to cherish and love, do not be surprised when things do not go according to your plans. We might have plans but God is the one determining how it will turn out later on. For that, I am blessed for those who I have right now.