“Dad: a son’s first hero and a daughter’s first love.”
My dad is my hero and my first love. Every day I find out something new about my father and it touches my heart. A few days ago, my aunt shared a story with me the first time and it made so much sense about my life’s purpose.
I always remember that it was your dad who gave me my first pencil. I can picture is as if it was this morning. We were walking to school and he was riding his bicycle to work – I think he was teaching at Clifton Hill at that time.
He stopped and said: “Hi.” and I told him proudly that it was my first day of school. This was when he gave me the pencil. It was a magical gift. It gave me the confidence to do well and made me feel that I was a special person.
I try to pass this gift on to others as part of my praxis, to my students, particularly those who are disadvantaged. I am sure that you miss him and have many wonderful stories to share. May he rest peacefully.
Message from my Aunt
My father was born in Barbados during World War II with blonde hair and light brown eyes. He loved to walk around barefoot. That grounded him for despite having shoes, he preferred to feel the earth under his feet. He loved to read. He loved music to play it and to sing it. He attended the Holy Innocents School and the prestigious Combermere School in Barbados. He became a teacher at both primary and secondary educational institutions in Barbados before entering Codrington College to study theology as a seminary. He was adept in the languages of Greek, Hebrew and Latin.
He met my mother and treated her like the Queen that she is. My father was old school: well mannered, well spoken with a rapier wit. He gave me my name which means gift in Latin and always told me that I was his gift from God. I loved being in my father’s presence as a little girl. He was always teaching me new things about life whether it was making memories like having picnics by the river or buying lots of books for my library at home. As a priest for over 30 years, he went out in the community and ministered to the people. He told me to never offend anyone because we are all related. My dad used to break down concepts into understandable portions. He was very visual in his explanations and sought clarity on issues. He was very patient and kind and used to call me out for my impatience and my quick temper. He would challenge me and I would challenge him and he always reinforced the adage to not let the sun go down and still be angry.
I saw my father take his last breath at home when I was in my early twenties. At first I thought that I would never see him again, that his life on earth would have ended with that last breath but that was not the case. My father provides for me and his grandsons up until this day. For while he was alive he ensured that our needs were continually met. I still use his name to get discounts at a certain hardware store, he provides for my sons’ education and most importantly his spirit is transferred to my elder son. I believe in reincarnation when I look in my son’s eyes.
My father was the happiest man when his first grandson was born. He went to the supermarket and was so excited to buy formula and diapers and bottles and anything else he could find for him. When he got older he would put his grandson on his lap and play the piano. That transferal of the love of music is in my older son. Even the way how he sits, the selection of his words and the artistic and logical choices which my son makes, reminds me of my father.
I am still hearing stories of my father. There are so many of them that my mom says that I could write a book. But my father was a private individual and a thoughtful human being, so to respect him I would only leave a snapshot of his influence in this post. His legacy lives on in my life long quest for knowledge and our gifts of God of another generation: his grandsons. This Fathers’ Day of the year 2020 allows us to be reflective of the overall fatherly contribution during this global pandemic. I wonder what my dad would say, how he would react to the actions going on in the world and in our country Barbados. I continue to remember my father fondly and hope that this post inspires all fathers to continue to protect, provide and spiritually advise their children no matter the circumstances.
anewday 