Thankyou Dad For Believing In Me

It's been ten years since my father passed away but it still seems like yesterday. I remember every single detail of that day, from the suit he was dressed in, to the smell of his perfume and the sadness that lingered for days, months and the years to come. In the past ten years, I have celebrated the most momentous occasions of my life: my wedding, my first child, my move to another country, all without him. I can only imagine how special it would have been if he were here. To see him smile with that twinkle in his eye, hear him laugh and crack a joke (or two). Unfortunate as it may seem, I was lucky to have had him for 25 years of my life to guide and comfort me during my many ups and downs. He would have been proud of my accomplishments, I definitely know.

Like all fathers, my daddy was everything to me and more. He taught me so many things and yet I feel like my time with him was so short. He taught me to fight my battles with dignity right to the end (even if it meant I was losing). To smile even if I felt like the weight of my worries would come crashing down. Most importantly, he taught me the music of my heart (and I feel like I've forgotten the tune ever since he left). Dad was probably the only one who saw my potential as a writer and never failed to encourage me. He would buy notebook after notebook, ask and sometimes plead with me to write a page everyday. Our favorite haunt (almost every week) was a famous book store where we spent hours just reading, looking and selecting books. The book hunt would end with me choosing some girly book and him convincing me that I was capable of reading something more intellectual (and I would finally give in) because I loved reading books he picked out for me. It's never the same, choosing books, because my forever 'book fighting companion' is not around to stop me from buying some soppy romantic novel or cheesy detective book that will lie unfinished for days. If only I knew, I would have filled those empty notebooks with silly stories to make him laugh. 

As I write this, I shed a silent tear because he will never read the articles I have written, or know that it was his encouraging words that motivated me to put that skill to use. This month, as I celebrate one year of blogging and writing my heart out, I feel the need to pay tribute to the one man who stood with me through my 25 roller coster years. Who taught me simple but taught me well.  Daddy! I can almost hear you cheering me on for the many successes and I wish I had that 'last' chance to thank you for everything you did. You will always be my Inspiration. You are forever loved and missed.