Have you ever noticed how carefully our parents tend to keep the little things we gift them over the years? A new shirt for the father, a pair of earrings for the mother – even after years you’ll find how neatly they are stacked in a certain corner of the cupboard.
Journalist Rituparna Chatterjee was also taken by surprise when she found out that her father still wears the flannel jacket she gifted him some 20 years ago for Rs 150 from Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar.
My father's simplicity is legendary. But today I was stumped. 20 years ago I bought a thin flannel jacket for Rs 150 or so in Sarojini. In a couple of years as I made slightly better salary, I bought better clothes and left that jacket at home. Today my parents sent me pics
— Rituparna (@MasalaBai) January 3, 2024
Her parents sent her some pictures from an outing they went on with their friends and she saw that her father was wearing the same old jacket. She didn’t even know that he had kept it all these years.
of a river outing they went with some of their friends and my father is wearing that jacket over an old check shirt. I didn’t even know that jacket existed after 20 years or that he takes it out every winter and wears it. I have begged him to let me buy better clothes but his
— Rituparna (@MasalaBai) January 3, 2024
Despite her trying to convince her father to let her buy new clothes for him, he keeps on saying that he has enough clothes.
argument is “don’t be wasteful, I have enough clothes and anyway there’s no proper winter in Kolkata.” By enough clothes he means 5-6 shirts, 2 collared t-shirts, 4-5 pants and 2-3 sweaters. If I buy him things he makes me return or doesn’t wear. His shirts are washed ironed and
— Rituparna (@MasalaBai) January 3, 2024
cleaned but old fashioned as he’s not bought anything in recent years. My mother’s fed-up. But she knows this habit comes from a lifetime of having to watch his spending and channel that money towards family, my education.
— Rituparna (@MasalaBai) January 3, 2024
He keeps wearing the jacket she gifted him even though the chain of the pockets is torn.
He sent me a message today with that picture, pleased as punch with himself that he wore my cheap 20 year old jacket to a picnic by the Ganga: “I think it will even outlast me.” 😓🥺
— Rituparna (@MasalaBai) January 3, 2024
Even the chain of the pockets are torn and missing 😩 pic.twitter.com/1Rx3VuzUfs
— Rituparna (@MasalaBai) January 3, 2024
He is the kind of man who tried to save every single penny because he wanted to give his family a better life and make sure his daughter got better opportunities.
Never bought a second pair of shoes for himself, fought the world in the 80s to enroll me in English medium convent so doors don’t remain closed to me. ❤️
— Rituparna (@MasalaBai) January 3, 2024
Several people online were left extremely emotional after reading this thread. Many of them recollected how their parents have the same kind of habits and shared them in the comments section. Here’s a look at some of the responses:
Dads are awesome. I intentionally leave Shirts/TShirts behind when I go home, newish ones he’d like to wear. He will call to tell I left falana thing back, I will say it didn’t fit me either way, you wear it. Voila ! something new gets added to his wardrobe. 25 yrs & counting 🤣
— Zaphod B (@vagabong42) January 3, 2024
A man who has tamed all the wild horses in his Self. Legend level : Zen master.
— MeanderingWonk (@MeanderingWonk) January 3, 2024
I know many people like him around me including my father in law. He has friends to go to picnic with, a loving daughter to send pics too n caring wife that pretends to be fed up. People of simple living n high thinking.
— sonal sharma (@sonal20112) January 4, 2024
So rare in today’s world. Simply wonderful.
— Rants&Roasts (@Sydusm) January 3, 2024
What a lovely thread, Parents never expect anything in return , theirs is the only love that is always unconditional
Give them love and respect and their best prayer will be that your children and you share the same bond that u share with them— Dewan Sachal (@essel1) January 4, 2024
Do your parents do the same thing?