Hello from Mykonos! The sunny idyllic Greek island is where we are celebrating my dad's 65th birthday this year - and it was a quick flight from Milan Fashion Week where we were right before this. The last time that we were in Greece was for our honeymoon, which was almost five years ago in Santorini. It feels great to be back and we can't wait to explore, for the rest of my family to arrive from Canada, and to celebrate my dad.
Thinking ahead to his special birthday, I realize that I have a learnt a lot from my father. To help him celebrate, I enlisted his friends and family from all over the world to tell us 65 things that they love about him - video here. But today, I am sharing the three most important lessons that I learnt from him.
TREAT OTHERS WITH KINDNESS FIRST
All my life, my dad has had a very kind heart, and he always finds a way to see the best in people and in situations. It's a trait of his that I try to embody myself. It has definitely resulted in me finding myself in favourable or positive situations more often then not. I have discovered that leading with kindness has resulted in calming circumstances.
A LITTLE PATIENCE GOES A LONG WAY
Immigrating from Pakistan to Canada. Buying properties in Canada. Buying cars. Buying businesses. All of this took an immense amount of patience from my dad. And I have paid attention; he shows the most amount of patience in situations that could easily escalate. And that's definitely where it matters the most. His cool headed attitude is definitely another important lesson that I will hold on to forever.
LIFE IS EASIER WHEN YOU LAUGH
The one thing that almost all of my dad's family, friends, and colleagues referenced when wishing him a happy birthday was his smile and his laugh. He has a naturally uplifting personality and he always makes people laugh. Whether through jokes, through stories, or just through a warm smile, my dad always brings a light heartedness to everyone he encounters. Another trait of his that I try very hard to replicate.
I am so excited that after almost seven years, my entire family is going on a trip together, and for none other then my dad. He truly does a lot of his family, and we can't wait to celebrate him with love and good times.
Have you ever been to Mykonos?
Shirt + Socks: Uniqlo Canada
Shorts: Herschel Canada
Shades: TIJN Eyewear
