One of the more beautiful stories I have witnessed from a dad to his child was the evolution of a particular young man as he took on his responsibilities to his son. Every day the man walked briskly past my gate with his child in his arms, always on time for school at Mona Heights Primary.

Eventually, that man bought a bicycle, and so he would pedal briskly with his child on the bicycle…never late for school. He was a bicyclist for a few more years. Eventually, I saw him on a small motorcycle…still “pedaling” as hard as he could every day.

By the consistency and the commitment, one could never doubt this man’s love. You could see it in the child’s face in his own closeness to his father, his appreciation and in his positive attitude towards school.

It’s a Small World

The truth is, your child does not care what you pedal…once you do actually pedal. It doesn’t matter if you ‘pedal’ a bicycle for 15km, a motorcycle, or a God-given “ten-toe” turbo. It doesn’t matter if in an urgent moment you have to ‘pedal harder’ at 35,000feet in a 737 as an airline pilot trying to get home, or ‘pedal faster’ in a private airplane as an ambitious ‘businessman’ or ‘entrepreneur’. It matters not whether ‘pedaling’ costs 30km of sweat or $20,000 in Jet Fuel. Your busyness is your business.

As fathers, we should all do the very best as we can. If you don’t have something, then don’t even mention it… Don’t worry. Just “pedal” harder with what you do have.

Daddy = Hero

All that matters in the eyes of your child is that when your son or daughter says urgently, “Daddy, please come….” when your child truly needs you, you do what you have to do. Until your last breath, “pedaling” is a choice. Being there when it matters is a choice. A lifestyle. Make it happen. Everything else is gravy.

#PedalFasterDaddy #BeThere

TZK
March 2018

Tarik Zawdie Kiddoe is an entrepreneur and is the founder of the Back to Basics Motorcycle Safety Mission.