My parents have been meeting their IIT Kanpur batchmaters over the last few weeks

MDs of large investment firms. Directors of reputed research institutions. Senior government secretaries. Founders of big organizations. The breadth, seniority and influence of the group were incredible. I expected them to be discussing business, careers and profession.

Instead, what they ended up majorly discussing was unexpected: family

After the old college memories were refreshed, laughed and fondly remembered, the focus shifted to family. What are your children doing? How is it at home? What are their lives looking like? How often do you meet them? Family, and only family. My brother and I are both from IITs. But it wasn’t that which surprised my parents’ friends the most.

What did was we stayed in the same building as my parents, sharing most meals together

Their batchmates didn’t discuss maximising careers; they wanted to maximise family time. Looking at this ultra-successful group, I couldn’t help but think about what matters most. It felt like seeing yourself 30 years later and being able to prioritise what matters. Family was their counter-intuitive answer. As they praised my parents for bringing us up well and spending time with our even more amazing spouses, I smiled

My parents are awesome after all, how much ever they shy away from praise

Parenting is hard, keeping the family close even more so. My parents have made multiple hard choices, prioritising the family over themselves. Building a family is probably the longest-term investment and journey. I sometimes feel they work harder than us. The effort it requires is incredible.

Once you grow up, you realize your parents were superheros all along, you thinking little of them as a rebellious teenager was your immaturity

Having great parents is the biggest blessing you can get. As Munger once said, luck is like winning the genetic lottery. Today, I have nothing but deep gratitude and respect for my parents. This is the biggest lottery you can win. I lucked out.

Thank you Mom and Dad for everything