Thank You Series: To Father

My dearest father,

Thank you. I know I don't say it often enough or show that I do.

Deep inside however, I am forever grateful to the good Lord for making you my father.

As you might readily concede, it is anything but easy to father someone like me – one so naturally rebellious and yet so much like you.

I'm sorry that I do not see eye-to-eye with you in so many things. You have been right and proven to be correct on so many though not all occasions. Thank you for not pulling the 'I-told-you-so' stunt. Thank you for accepting me, your prodigal son time and time again.

I am what I am today because I had you. Thank you for educating me since young. Thank you for putting me through all those ABCs and 123s sessions from kindergarten and beyond. Thank you for caning me all those times I tried to be a stinking little brat, and thank you for knowing when to stop. I can't remember at what age you stopped employing the whip but I do know it takes great wisdom to know when to spare the rod.

Thank you for putting me through university and for taking care of my feline baby those five years i was away. Her death was a very abrupt and unanticipated departure, but thank you for being there and caring for her while i was speeding back on the highway. Thank you for giving me the chance to cradle her to her last breath.

Thank you for stopping smoking. You never did reveal why you ever quit nicotine but I’m sure it was not easy giving up on a thirty-year-old habit and lifestyle. It took you great willpower to do so but you pulled through very successfully indeed. I am proud to have a father with such great willpower, the same spirit of perseverance that spared you a possible lifetime of poverty back in the villages.

Thank you for permitting me to adopt and keep so many animal friends over the years. I leant to love animals from the National Geographic Specials you used to record in the now kaput VCR. I know fully well that the definition for a ‘pet’ in your dictionary never did include the biting iguana, the common ground skink, hairy caterpillars, venomous centipedes and an overweight toad but hey, you had your share of pet crickets and six oscar fishes. In this life I have many regrets, but sharing my life with animals of all shapes and sizes is not one of them.

Thank you for teaching us how to live a simple life. We’ve learnt early enough that success is not equal to flashy worldly possessions and greatness is not measured by one’s empty boasts. Still, if I had more money, I’d buy you a car better than the current one. Your 20-year-old Proton looks as if it has advanced squamous cell skin cancer and is indeed an ideal candidate for palliative care. Anyway, I’m still saving - we’re still saving. Give us some time, ok?

You are mostly a man of few words and many talents. I’m glad bullshitting was not one of them, lest I ended up like the lying liars so prevalent in the medical fraternity. For that, I thank you.

Thank you for taking care of Brother. If I were to elaborate on this, I’d run into a few pages long, and I’m not sure if you have such patience.

Above all, thank you for taking care of Mother all those years she was ill. Through it all, you’ve demonstrated true love and loyalty and stayed true to your marriage vows. Times were difficult and the circumstances were challenging. I’m proud that we made it through as a family. Your deeds and action spoke much louder than any spoken words. Suffice to say, you rose to the occasion and kept us as a family.

Thank you for everything.