HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD!

Today is Father's Day here in India. I won't be home to celebrate it with my dad. He's the best dad I could have possibly gotten. I know everyone says that, and it's true for everyone if you look at things from a spiritual perspective. But still, that doesn't make it any less true: Dad, you're the best!

In fact, one of the reasons I'm motivated to approach life with a public health perspective is because that's exactly how my dad is. He always thinks of things in terms of the whole environment, instead of just one isolated fragment. Everything affects everything else, and there's no escaping that. My dad taught me that not just by telling me, but by example. He plants more trees than anyone else I know. He employs a LOT of people; if someone needs a job, he has a really really hard time saying no. He'll find something for them to do, whether it's in his office or in his garden. He doesn't like handouts, not because he doesn't want to give people free stuff, but because he knows that what they really need is a livelihood, not a gift.

My dad has been emphasizing things I learned in grad school for years. Even though he's a vascular surgeon (it doesn't get more clinical/technical than that!), he still stresses a public health view. He urges people to take preventive precautions rather than wait to treat a full-blown disease. He knows the importance of a balanced, varied diet. He planted crops in our backyard because he wants us to be self-sustaining and to eat organically-grown vegetables. As a result of his hard work and vision (and ultimately, of course, the thanks goes to God), we have lemons, tomatoes, avocadoes, and lots of other beautiful vegetables and even some fruits that give us more yield than we know what to do with. We also have chickens, cows, sheep and other animals that complete the farm. It's a truly blessed existence, and it was my dad's vision.

I could go on and on. I could write about how supportive my dad was of my grandma's learning how to use the computer and internet. Or about how kind my dad is to my grandpa, Babba, who has some dementia and needs patience and compassion mixed in with some good humor. My dad is there for that. He takes care of my mom, even though they have their moments. He makes her tea on the weekends, and fixes breakfast for her dad (the aforementioned Babba).

I think public health is a fundamental way of looking at life. And my dad has helped shape that outlook so much. If that wasn't enough, he's great fun to be around. Have a wonderful Father's Day, Dad. God willing, I can't wait to see you again!