My father once said...

A highly disciplined man that he was, dad made sure everyone around him mirrored his qualities. He had his own way of making us do things the way he would, but nevertheless, we did it!!I am pround of what he has made of me, my sister and mom and thank him forever for that...

He once said....

A person who doesn't follow traffic rules cannot follow any rules of life

This is one of my favorites! Be it learning to drive after the legal age or stopping at a red when everyone else zipped past me(this happens often in InDia) .... he has formed my attitude towards traffic rules...even though I add my own flavors to it like occasional speeding, the traffic rules are pillared strongly in me.

If I don't value other people's time, why should they value mine?

Hmmm.... interesting thought! There are many people around us who think being late to a meeting or making other people wait is cool...it makes them feel important...some others gwnuinely don't know how to manage their time and a few others, in am informal setting, don't want to rush things while the rest of them really had a reason to be late.... Dad was a very punctual man. Never late for anything... In India, this is rare, at least at that time, it was. I was terrible at being punctual, especially in my undergraduate days... he would get so mad at me and I never understood why!! Only after coming to the United States did I realize the importance of time!

The people in your life are like passengers on the train. They board and deboard at different phases and you should have the strength to move on...

These were very profound words.... this was told to me when I was in undergraduate school... a very close friend of mine was moving to another city and would not be going to school with me anymore... I was very hurt by these prospects and when Dad noticed it, in an effort to make me see the harsh facts of life, he said these words... Everyone in this world is dynamic, nomadic...they keep moving from one place to another...one state of self realialization to another... and when these changes happen, their surroundings change too... So it is important to accept these changes and let go when you have to... there can be a negative interpretation to this... it can make one take refuge in it while leaving people high and dry and moving on with life... Understanding the context and the intention behind this phrase is very essential.

I have got everything I wanted in life.... Its time for me to give back...

He stuck to these words till the end... In a short span of 13 years, he saw all the success he wanted...be it personal or professional. In his efforts to give back, he had larger than life plans in place... he wanted to build housing for the 50 workers in our industry. He funded the education of all employees' kids upto high school level. Ensured the employees had three meals a day while at work... Helped the community build a temple.... Helped a home for the mentally challenged... He gave himself completely into giving back... and that is an irreplacable legacy he has left behind for his family to enjoy!

more to come....