Today as I sit and reflect upon the journey that we as young doctors have embarked upon, I can't help but be aware that there has been one constant support system, a motivational platform without which none of us would be here, beaming proudly at our achievements – that is our parents. On introspection, I realize that the same eyes which are now all lit up with joy and brimming with confidence were not so long ago filled with tears, a face drooping in sorrow and exhaustion trying to desperately make sense of the words swimming in front of my eyes – until my dad would wake up, to come and sit with me and transform me with his soothing voice, his fiery belief in me, with words that became a pacer for my heart, to make me feel like a new man with new assurance, as a phoenix arisen from ashes. I am sure that we can all relate to such countless instances in various forms and shapes. When the world beats us down, when our friends cross us, when studies stress us out, then our confidence is shaken, maybe never to be regained if not for the true love and support from our parents who kept on believing in us even when we ourselves were ready to give up. I want to let my dad and all other parents know this: Without you, we would have quit on our final exams the first time we panicked. Without you, we would never have got back up after the drubbing in our first year of medical school. Without you, we wouldn't have believed we could excel in paper II of our exams after ruining paper I. Without you, we might never have learned that we are stronger, faster and braver than we could ever have imagined ourselves to be. Whenever we wandered down the paths of life, you guided us to the light and you were always there every step of the way. Days pass and seasons fade. I've grown and you have aged; yet as I lend you my hand, please know one thing remains the same: I still rely on your strength and your wisdom; your calm patient guidance and kind loving gaze. Lastly, my father dear, I want you to know that I have always wanted to live my life in such a way that my words are nothing but echoes of your sentences and my deeds, a shadow of your radiance. Ehtesham Raza Sayeed
