My eyes are adjusting to your presence. The moment when I held you in my hands for the first time seems like a dream. Your being is so surreal that I have to see you again and again to make sure that you are not a figment of my imagination. Your crying sounds like a creaking door and the chap – chap sound you make while drinking milk lands me in convulsions of laughter.
Yes, you have arrived and now that you are here my daughter, I have a few promises to make.
I promise that you will never learn to accept your gender as weak. The idea will never be taught to you.
I promise that you will learn to make your own decisions. I will be there to give my opinion, suggestions and guidance but I will not make decisions for you.
I promise that you will learn to value a human for his thoughts and not for his religion or cast.
I promise that I will be there to help you get up after you fall but I will never stop you from committing what I think are mistakes. I will never strangulate your convictions.
I promise that you will learn to defend yourself and your rights.
I promise that you will know the true significance of this gift of life, that you will value it in all humans above anything else.
I promise that you will understand the significance of hard work, you will understand that success achieved through shortcuts does not mean anything.
I promise you will grow without any cultural shackles. You will never be a part of a family that demands dowry or pray for a baby boy.
I promise you will be taught to respect Mother Earth. You will learn that there is nothing like cultural superiority.
I promise that you will understand that there are only two kinds of humans – the ones who make mistakes and hide them and the ones who accept their mistakes, learn from them and rectify them.
I promise that I will encourage you to fall in love. My opinion about your choice will not matter if you are convinced and happy with your partner. And no, the gender of your partner will not matter.
I promise that I will neither show you off as a trophy nor treat you as a racing horse to further my unfulfilled ambitions.
I promise that I will try my best to incline your interests towards various art forms. I will try my best to make you fall in love with books.
I promise that I will be your best friend. I will listen to you with amusement when you will tell me that your boyfriend got his ears pierced seven times. I will listen to you with pride when you will tell me that you broke a man’s arm with a karate chop when he tried to harass a lady in the bus.
I promise you my precious Anika that I will love you unconditionally. My love will not change with your successes or failures, your decisions or opinions. My love will not change even if I have to change a hundred diapers a day. It will not change even if I end up being sleep deprived and dream of diapers falling from the sky during my random power naps.
I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. I am looking forward to see you take your first step, call me dad, laugh out loud, fall in love and live your life.
p.s. I might be blogging erratically for a while because of my busy schedule of changing diapers and burping the baby. Please don’t mind.
p.p.s This blog might turn into a daddy blog for a while.
My heartiest bestest chociest wishes to you and your family. 🙂
I hope the mother is coping well.
And how I love the sound of a daddy blog 🙂
Thanks Celestialrays! 🙂
Yes, the mother is doing fine. Right now we are learning the nuances of feeding the baby and waking up thrice every night. 🙂
Congratulations to the proud parents and that pic is super cute, the smiley 😀
Thank you Jazz. 😀
I wont mind reading the dad’s posts 🙂
so loved this . I already hav a feeling that Anika is lucky to hav u both ! God bless
heartiest congrats
Happy daddy time amit !
Thanks Afshan. 🙂
It is such a inexplicable feeling to see her finally after 9 months. It still seems like a dream. 🙂
Amen
Yes. Amen.
I’m sure she would love you for these promises..Be the best Dad you can..And waiting for more posts and pictures 🙂
Thanks Bhavia. I will try my best. 🙂
“I promise that you will understand that there are only two kinds of humans – the ones who make mistakes and hide them and the ones who accept their mistakes, learn from them and rectify them. ”
Really very important. Great promises. I wish time and circumstances help you uphold them 🙂 Very nicely written
Thanks Gv,
Yes, I would love to keep all of them and will do my best. 🙂
Congratulations to the new Daddy nd Mommy.. Lucky Anika is surely a blessed child.. May God always shower his choicest of blessings on her…
And very very eager for Daddy-blog…:-)
Happy burping-diaper changing-singing lullabies… 🙂 🙂
Thank you for all your wishes Saanjh. 🙂
Haha! It is very very tiring but I guess we will get used to it. 🙂
Congratulations to both of you! Isn’t she absolutely precious! Such a wonderful time! Here’s a wonderful time doing all those daddy duties, and yes, would be great reading your Daddy blog 🙂
Thanks Smitha. 🙂
Yes, this is a great time. Tiring but we are having moments where we end up laughing uncontrollably because of her histrionics. 🙂
Aww, she is beautiful and what a lovely name too! Congratulations!!
Love this letter. She is one lucky little girl. 🙂
Thank you Carvaka. 😀
Welcome to club parents! And heartiest congratulations again!!! 🙂
Thanks Maddie. 🙂
All the best! She’ll love to read this when she grows up.
Thanks Rachna.
Congratulations to both of you 🙂 She is adorable 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Congrats
Thank you.
This is such a sweet post. Congratulations Amit on your bundle of joy. She will be so proud to have such a cool dad.
Thanks Lazy Pineapple.
I hope I will be a good friend to her. 🙂
OMG!!! Congratulations !! 😀
like Many Many Congratulations…..you will be an awesome dad 🙂
Thanks Dauntlessdaisy! 😀
Yes, yes, I will try my best. 🙂
Congraaaaats!! 🙂 to the proud parents 🙂
She is one good looking girl already — such a sweet pic 🙂
Thanks Scorpria. 🙂
Oh! You should see her pout in sleep. 🙂
Congrats dear Amit! Anika sure is a lucky girl!
Thank you Karishma. 🙂
Omg…congrats!!! She is sooo cute…and what a lovely name! Loved the letter and the promises you’ve made. Looking forward to the daddy blog. You’ll be a great dad, I am so sure about that. Congratulations… 🙂
Thank you pseudomonaz. 🙂 I will try my best to be a good dad. 🙂
Thanks for liking the post.
Congrats Amit…very nice post.
She looks lovely.
Thank you RH.
Wow! Woow! Wooow! This came as a real good surprise! Congratulations! It’ s celebration time at the Sharma household! When did she arrive? Hope Geet is doing well? All the best for fatherhood! Amen for the promises! Anika is a lovely name! You’ll be an awesome dad to her! Lots of love & blessings for her! Cuddles & kisses!
P.S: You’ll be missed but it is excused for new parenthood’s sake! God bless!
Yes, everyone in Sharma household is falling over each other for her attention during the 23 minutes she is awake in a day. 🙂 She arrived on 21st May.
Thank you so much for your warm wishes. 🙂
Congratzz Amit….Would loved to read daddy post in your style 🙂
Thanks. 🙂 I will try my best. 🙂
Awww… congrats to the proud parents. And I love those set of promises you just made to your little one. I’m sure she’s lucky to have you both as you are to have her. You’ll make a great dad.
We don’t mind daddy posts at all 🙂 Keep ’em coming.
Thank you Wanderer. 🙂
Geet and I feel blessed to have her. 🙂
Heartiest congratulations to you and your family! May God bless your precious li’l Anika!
Such heartfelt promises Amit! You’re already enjoying being a daddy, I can read that from those touching words. Good luck to you 🙂
Thanks for your wishes Deeps. 🙂
I think I am getting into the groove. I was feeling very tired initially but it is kind of a happy-tired. 🙂
Oh, you forgot to promise that you’d teach her to look back at life with a lot of humor like you do :)!! Congrats Amit!!
Haha! Yeah, that too. It keeps you sane. 🙂
Thanks for your wishes crazyambivert.
hey. hearty congratulations to you both… n welcome Anika… 🙂 I wont mind reading a words of a dad 😉 god bless u n ur family… 🙂 tc of all
Thanks for your wishes Pratiksha. 🙂
Heartiest Congratulations to you & your family 🙂
Sending loads of good wishes, love & blessings for the little angel.
Welcome to parenthood Amit, after reading this very beautiful & inspiring letter am looking forward to your daddy posts 🙂
Thanks My Era. 🙂
I hope I am able to live up to the responsibility. 🙂
Hearty congratulations to you and Geets! I wish you good luck and strength in achieving each and every one of your beautiful promises. She’d be delighted to read them when she grows up. All the very best, Amit!! And here’s to sleepless nights and rough days !! 🙂
Thanks Latha. 🙂
Yeah, sleepless nights and rough days are already here. I think I will be hit by them with full force once I join back in the office. 🙂
Congratulations Amit to you and Geet 🙂
Anika is very cute.. what does her name means?? 🙂 just curious 🙂
Thank you!
Well, the name means graceful, brilliance or sweet faced. It is also the name of Goddess Durga.
wow!!! .congratulations ..!!!!.. 🙂
Thank you. 🙂
We won’t mind hearing stories of baby burps and first steps 😀 Many congratulations Amit 🙂 and god bless little Anika 🙂
I think first steps will take a while but yes burps are in plenty. 🙂
Thanks for your wishes Jas.
We will be all ears till then too and after that too 🙂
Congratulations and calls for a celebration…..You are going to be a wonderful daddy to the little princess…..Waiting to read about daddy blog….the blog world is full of mummy blogs…
Thanks Saritha,
I too hope so that I am a good father to her. 🙂
First of all congratulations to both of you! I like the sound of a daddy blog! Full marks to you in advance for being a fantastic father as Anika grows and sees the different sides of her dad
Thank you. Everyone is liking the idea of a daddy blog. 🙂
Thank you for all your wishes.
May God bless your little angel! You are gushing like a beggar who has stumbled upon a treasure! 😉 But hey, you deserved her!
There are quite a few take-aways for blokes like us out of those promises. Thank you, for this sweet post.
Haha! 🙂 Yes that is exactly how I am feeling.
Thank you for your wishes Uma.
Many congratulations to both of you, and loads of good wishes to the little angel. 🙂 Am so looking forward to your daddy posts 🙂
Thanks Scribblehappy. 🙂
Woohooo!! super congrats to you and Geet….hope all are doing well :):)
big big big hugs..and I loved that post okay?
Thanks R’s Mom. 🙂
Yes, everyone is doing fine.
Thank you for liking the post. 🙂
Congratulations! 🙂
Thanks Aparna. 🙂
WhoooHooo!!! I can foretell that Anika will go around the town singing “My Daddy Strongest!”
I hope so too. 🙂
Congrats Amit and Geet. Anika is so cute. All the best for the daddy duties and would love to read your Daddy blog.
Wish you all happy days ahead. God bless.
Thanks for your wishes TRR. 🙂
happy happy birthday to the lil princess and loads of happy diaper changing months to new parents 🙂 🙂 baby is just cute 🙂 🙂 she doesn’t look like a new born!!! 🙂 🙂 I simply loved the post script 😀 😀 😀 😀 he he !!!! this burp factor is most difficult to say girl!!!!
Thanks for your wishes Chipmunk. 🙂 Yes, it’s raining diapers here. 🙂
always 🙂 particularly for the baby girl 🙂 🙂 🙂 they will go profusely 🙂 🙂 I am right now enjoying this period with niece 🙂 🙂 change a diaper, man I will bet, she will fill it with in half an hour 😀 😀 😀
how is mom 🙂 🙂 🙂 and big bro 🙂 🙂 hope they are having a wonderful time together 🙂 🙂
Wishing all her dreams be fulfilled as you keep up the promises for the sweet little angel:)
Thanks for your wishes Rahul. 🙂
Congrats and I think it is high time I send that friendship request to you on FB; maybe your sane daddy posts might save my twins future 🙂
I think people with twins should get an award. How do you guys handle two babies? 🙂
Don’t even ask. We almost tried to leave them buckled up in the car seat so that someone would all 911 and we could sleep well in Jail for a couple of days 😛
Now you are giving me ideas. 😛
I usually don’t like to go all ‘Awwww’ over things, but this one is so sweet. Father-daughter relationship is one of a kind. May be one of the best relationships. I wish you and your sweet family all the best. 🙂
Thanks Kanthu. 🙂 I hope we become good friends.
Thanks for all your wishes. 🙂
Congratulations to all of you Amit – including Anika for such a wonderful dad. 🙂
Of all the promises you made, the second part of the last one moved me to tears 🙂
Thanks Suresh. 🙂
Congrats Amit, on your little angel’s birth. I am sure she will grow up into a lovely and confident young lady with parents like you. All the best!
Thanks for your wishes Zephyr.
Daddy blog sounds soooo cute! Will look forward to reading your stories. And Anika is a lovely name. God Bless her.
Oops, nishaha!!!
Thanks for your wishes Nisha. 🙂
Anika is so so so very adorable! Hope Geet is doing well. Here’s wishing more strength to each and every one of those promises. Looking forward to reading more on the daddy blog! 🙂
Yes, Geet and Anika are both fine. We are getting used to the feed-every-two-hours routine. 🙂
Thank you for all your wishes. 🙂
Awww, she’s so adorable. Congratulations, daddy! 🙂
I’m sure your daughter will value you for these promises. I wish every father could think like you do. 🙂
Look forward to reading your daddy posts. I don’t think I have come across a daddy blog before!
Thanks TGND. 😀
Haha! Yes, I haven’t come across a daddy blog too.
Congratulations to both of you and hugs and kisses to lil Anika! 🙂
Daddy’s are more closer to daughters. So, the Daddy’s posts are definitely going to be worth reading. 🙂
Thank you Rekha. 🙂
I hope I will be able to write something worthwhile. 🙂
Blah! Became all mushy after reading this post. What a lovely name – Anika! She is blessed to have you as her dad. We need more dads like you around. I hope she inherits your sense of humour as well as rational and progressive thinking.
What are you talking about!! OF COURSE we’d love to see this become a daddy blog for sometime! 🙂
Thanks for your wishes Ash. 🙂
And everyone at home too went mushy after reading the post. I don’t know why. 🙂
Congratulations Daddy!!!
Nice post.. waiting for more daddy post..
Thanks Chaitali. 🙂
The list of promises every girl dreams her parents want for her…
And I wish more parents make all those promises.
Congratulations!!! Have a great time with the bundle of joy!!!
Thank you Giribala. 🙂
Welcome to the world, Anika. Wish you a happy, healthy, fun, loving and peaceful life. Congratulations to both you and your wife, Amit.
Thanks for your wishes kayemofnmy.
congrats.. welcome to the world of parenting.. 🙂
Thanks Ashreyamom. 🙂
Congratulations! Anika would simply love you for this. She’s adorable. And what a pretty name! May I ask what it means? Congratulations to the proud parents once again. 🙂
Thanks Destiny’s child. 🙂
Anika means graceful, brilliance or sweet faced. It is also the name of Goddess Durga.
Congratulations!! 🙂
Your little one is adorable and the words are simply lovely! 🙂
Thanks Pixie. 🙂
Congratulations!!! Anika is lucky too have a father like you!
Thanks Dhwanis.
Congratulations to you and Geet !!! Loved the name and the cutie pie and also the genuine promises… Happy daddy days to you 🙂
Thanks Seena. 🙂
It’s a great blessing for a daughter to get a father like you. 🙂 May you & your family keep smiling together! 🙂
All the best wishes to Anika! 🙂
Thank you for your nice words Gayatri. 🙂
I have been following your blog for a while now but this is my first comment. Lots of wishes to you, Geet and Anika 🙂
Thanks Richa for your lovely wishes. 🙂
Congratulations for such a beautiful child…
I wish if more parents could teach what you have written here…
Thanks Aniruddha.
Many many congratulations Amrit for the lil angel 🙂
I’d love to read the daddy posts here !!!
Thank you for your wishes Jyoti. 🙂
Pingback: Mesmerised | Zack and Visha
She is an angel, Amit. Loads of blessings for her… she is a lucky girl. I wish every father made this promise to his daughters. My father didn’t promise me all this, but he has actually shown it in action. He has been my greatest support and I am more than the son he never had. And I am enough. I love him.. and your post made me emotional. This post should be shared until it goes viral.
Anika is a beautiful name.
Thank you for your wishes. 🙂
I am glad to hear that there are fathers who have actually fulfilled all those promises that I have made. You are one lucky girl.
And I promise to make sure me and TBH take a cue from you when we become parents :). I have a feeling I will be a super obsessed mom, and that feeling kills me :(.
Anika is super cute and super lucky to have a dad like you.
P.S and no, we would not mind a but having a daddy blog 🙂 make it happen.
Haha! every parent is super obsessive but you have to learn to loosen up after a while. 🙂
Thank you for all your wishes. 🙂
Anika is adorable, please give her a tight hug from me. She is lucky to have a dad like you. Congratulation to you and Geet, wishing you many more diaper changing and burping sessions 🙂
Thank you Little Fingers for your wishes. 🙂
congratulations — i am sure you will make a great father .
Thank you. 🙂
congratulations – i just discovered you blog …. i am sure you will make a great father and do keep posting .
Thanks for your wishes. 🙂
Congrats Amit and to your wife. Wishing Anika will grow up to be a compassionate, upright and bold girl. May she bring happiness to everyone whose life she touches.
Thanks for your wishes Liju.
Amen to that.
Hi Amit ,
Congrats , Just Like you I have been also blessed with a Baby Girl this time.I Really Feel Full of Joy .
I am printing your Promise to your Daughter for my Daughter , I have already promised this to her even before she was born , not only to her but my Future DIL too as I have a Son too.
Congrats and Congrats to your Daughter for having a Sane Father.
Give my Luv to the little princess…
– FIB
Well me too busy changing diaper now , Same “Yellow” Pinch 😉 .
How old is your lil one , mine is just 12 weeks.
Hey congratulations to you too! 🙂
I am sure you are going to be a great Mom and a MIL. 🙂
Anika is just 20 days old right now. 🙂
I hope to be a non existent person as an MIL.Let them be.
But thinking how to make my daughter handle the crazy Indian World, despite of all the strength I will infuse in her…May be she may marry some Non Indian…or surely A Sane Indian…Boys flip after marriage like my husband …so lets see , I will support her always and make her strong enough to guide her self ..
Don’t worry so much. Everything will turn out to be great. 🙂
many many many congratulations Amit…:)…my daughter is 2.5 months and i am book marking this for her, as you have captured everything so well..:)
Congratulations! 🙂
Thank you for liking the post. 🙂
Awww I missed this. Came back after reading your latest post 🙂 Congrats to all of u Amit and hugss to the little one 🙂
Thank you Swaram. 🙂
Congratulations to you and your wife, Amit! 🙂 Loads of love to the little one 🙂 She looks gorgeous 🙂
Thanks a lot. 🙂
Loved this post Amit… look forward to reading your Daddy Blog. Heartiest congratulations to all three of you… hugs and best wishes.
Thanks IHM. 🙂
How could I have missed this post of all??!! So happy for you and Geet!
And I just loved this post : ) God bless, three of you!
Thanks Bindu!! 🙂
wow..!!! Congrats to the proud parents and God bless the little baby Anika.
Beautiful write-up.. loved it 🙂
Thanks Chaitra. 🙂
Congratulations! Even if it’s a little belated. 🙂
Thanks Fem. 🙂
Best Wishes and Heartiest COngratulations aMIT- Anika is indeed blessed to have you as a dad and the promises are truly a treasure. Hugs….. Loads of blessings to the lil one !
Thanks a lot Priya for your wishes. 🙂