“My Father, My Forever” 

By: Mishti Saini, Class V, Apeejay School, Model Town, Jalandhar 

Not all heroes wear capes.

Some wear simple shirts, carry lunch boxes, and return home with tired eyes and the biggest smiles.

One of them lives in my house.

I call him Papa.

Every year, the third Sunday of June is marked as World Father’s Day—a day to celebrate fathers everywhere. But to me, this day is more than a celebration. It’s a quiet “thank you” wrapped in all the hugs I forgot to give, the words I never said out loud, and the smiles I owe to the man who built my world—brick by brick, moment by moment.

When I was little, Papa always lifted me on his shoulders and I felt like I could touch the clouds.

Now that I’ve grown taller, I’ve realised something even more magical: His love has always lifted me higher than the sky!

He may not know how to braid my hair or bake cupcakes with me perfectly, but he knows exactly when I need a soft pat on my back, a gentle “You’ll be okay,” or a long silent walk without questions. His strength is not in loud speeches but in quiet sacrifices. Not in the things he buys for me, but in the time he gives me—even when he’s tired, even when the world asks more from him.

This Father’s Day, I don’t want to give Papa just a card or a mug that says “Best Dad Ever.”

I want to give him these words.

Because words are what I have, and he deserves each one of them.

Papa, thank you…

For being my umbrella in the rain,

My compass when I’m lost,

My laughter when I cry,

And the hand I hold in every new beginning.

The world may call this Father’s Day.

But for me, every day with you is a celebration.