A gift that was meaningful to you

The most meaningful gift I've ever received is a fountain pen that my father gave me on the morning of my HSC exams, about four years ago.

It isn't an expensive designer pen. It's a dark green pen made by an old Indian brand, quite heavy, with a slightly scratched gold-coloured clip. What makes it special is that it used to belong to my father. He bought it with his first salary when he got a job as a government clerk over thirty years ago, and he used it to sign every important document in his life, including his marriage certificate.

He's not a very emotional person, so the way he gave it to me surprised me. He just put it on the table next to my breakfast and said, "This pen has never failed me. Make sure it doesn't fail you." Then he went to work as if nothing had happened.

It was special for a few reasons. First, it showed me that he trusted me with something precious. Second, it connected me to his own struggles; he came from a poor village family and worked his way up, and the pen is a symbol of that. I didn't actually use it to write my exams, because I was afraid of losing it, but I kept it in my pocket the whole time, and it really calmed me down. I still keep it on my desk, and I use it only to sign important papers, just like he did.