“Be the servant while leading. Be unselfish. Have infinite patience, and success is yours.”
― Swami Vivekananda
The first photo in the top left corner was taken at my first workplace, i.e. TATA, Gandhinagar, India in January 2003 with Canon Digital camera.
The second photo in the top right corner was taken in my bedroom at my London home in 2009 with an iPhone 3 camera.
The third bottom right was taken at the photo studio in Amadawad, India in 1973 with a black and white camera.
The Center photo was taken at the Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara, India in January 2018 with my iPhone 6 Plus.
My explanation on how this represents the theme ‘change’:
All four photos share very strong loving and caring emotional real-life stories attached to the ideal father’s position within the family. We go through constant changes in everyday life. We often don’t see and don’t appreciate enough the hard work put in by the fathers as unsung heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes without any expectations of applause or praise or even acknowledgement. Their emotional well-being is often hidden as the foundation of the building that no one can see ever even with their wide-open big and beautiful eyes. Also, the characters, places, circumstances, time, outfits, jewellery, technology and many more things have been changed in each photo, however, the core virtues of the emotional journey of humans attached to through and within these photos are the same in my opinion.
Any thoughts?
Thank you!
p.s.: just submitted my entry entitled “KUSUMANU @ SAGE with The Best Father” for the photo competition…more on the way…stay tuned!
After this write up, the conversation went on and on…!
Daddy: Now write about The Best Husband.
I replied without a second thought: The Best Husband doesn’t exist 
Daddy: But The Best Wife exists 
I Googled.
Six qualities of an ideal husband…
- Karyeshu Yogi,
- Karaneshu Daksha,
- Rupeshu Krishna,
- Bhojyeshu Trupta,
- Kshamyeshu Rama,
- Sukha Dukha Mitra.
That means…the ideal husband
- Works like a monk,
- Listens like an efficient servant,
- Handsome like The Lord Krishna,
- Satisfies with just foods,
- Forgives like The Lord Rama,
- The Best Friend in good and bad times.
And
Eight qualities of an ideal wife…
- Karyeshu Dasi,
- Karaneshu Manthri,
- Bhojeshu Mata,
- Shayaneshu Rambha,
- Roopeshu Lakshmi,
- Kshamayeshu Dharitri,
- Sat Karma Nari,
- Kula Dharma Patni
That means…an ideal wife
- Works like a servant,
- Advises like a minister,
- Feeds like a mother,
- Makes love like a nymph,
- Is as beautiful as Lakshmi (The Goddess of Wealth),
- Forgiving like the earth,
- A woman who does good deeds,
- The Clan Godmother (The Lady of the House).
You see, how bad(?) I am
I repeat…
Teach me O Lord…
Don’t give me success but teach me to digest failure with patience.
Don’t give me money but teach me to hug the poor.
Don’t give me fame but teach me to love an unknown person.
Don’t give me a long life, but teach me to live a beautiful life and to die the best death.
Don’t give me likeable speech but teach me to fear before I speak badly.
Don’t give me good shaped body but teach me to fight against injustice.
Don’t give me too much intelligence but teach me to use my intelligence wisely.
Don’t give me wings to fly but teach me to dive deep in someone’s heart.