Theyiesinuo Keditsu with her parents.
Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | June 20
Fathers play a pivotal role in every child’s life. From being a son’s first hero to a daughter’s first love, a father’s influence continues to leave a lasting imprint on a child’s journey.
On the eve of Father’s Day, that is observed on the third Sunday of June every year, Theyiesinuo Keditsu fondly recalled her favourite childhood memory of her father, that was made of eating together on road trips and holidays.
Apuo is the archetypal ‘Lifelong Learner’
“My father is a big foodie and he passed on that love to me - he was an adventurous eater, not snooty and has taken us from road side stalls and hotels to the fanciest restaurants, discovering and relishing good food together has been one of our shared passions,” she shared.
This mutual love for food also inspired her to publish ‘The Boy Who Loved Food’ a portrait of her father’s life and a reflection on the bond that ties them together through their shared culinary adventures.
“As a child, I would sit beside my father, listening to his stories—memories stirring with flavours and aromas, told in the language of meals. His love for food was something I absorbed both through his tales and the way food was central to our family’s life,” she had related during the formal release of the book in the year 2024 on October 13, a date that also marks her father’s birthday.
Apuo, as she calls him, is the archetypal ‘Lifelong Learner’. Humble and insatiably curious, he finds joy in learning new things, gaining new skills.” This is what she admires most about her father. She also shared that she will always treasure his advice, “Not to let pride or a false sense of achievement get in the way of learning and improving oneself.”
As for her father, her wish for him is simply a “long life - A life of good health that affords his children and grandchildren the opportunity and time to shower him with the love that he deserves.”
For context, her father is Dr Kezevituo Keditsu, a gynaecologist and founder of Putuonuo Hospital in Kohima.
From being a strict dad to a best friend
“My father is free-spirited; he lives life on his own terms, and does not conform to societal norms. He does not care what people think or say, but would always do what he feels is right. This is one quality I admire about him,” related Ngonyo Jacob Krocha.
Growing up, Ngonyo saw his father as a ‘strict dad,’ but over the years, he shared that their father-son bond evolved into a friendship. While it wasn’t easy to raise eight children as a farmer, Ngonyo said his father was a visionary man and despite everything, dreamt that at least one of his children would matriculate someday. Today, five of them have not only fulfilled that dream but also achieved so much more.
“My father always encouraged us to do well in life,” he further related while highlighting his father’s support for all of their ventures especially for his younger brother, Bunyi, who ventured into farming in Zhavame village, right after his graduation. Towards this endeavour, he said that his 73-year-old father, Nasü Krocha has been a rock and a strong foundation.
Recalling his time living in Delhi, he spoke with profound gratitude about his parents' visit during Christmas in 2016, and mentioned his father's adventurous spirit. “He is always looking forward to better things in life and does not want to keep himself confined to the village; he believes that there is always a way,” he elucidated.
As a father himself today, Ngonyo Jacob Krocha feels even more strongly that fatherhood is a gift from God and believes that every child should be able to pursue and do what they love. Towards this end, he also expressed that, “I don’t want to impose my unfulfilled dreams on my four children, but I want to raise them to be thinkers, to be responsible, and to never do harm.”
With my children, he also added that, “I consider them more as friends and give them an open platform to share, or even correct me when I am wrong.”
