January 9, 2015

Happy Birthday Dad!


I am glad to repost this once again today, as I recall my father with gratitude...... there are not many photographs of my dad except a few, I chose this photo for this post as this was taken in his younger days..


My dad in his younger days
My Dad D C Viagula Dass who’s another name could have been faith, hope, love, laughter and generosity. There are so many memorable moments of my life with my dad, and I cherish with great love in my heart.  

 Today I am grateful to my dad for being a strong support to my mom, for being a caring husband and most important to me a loving and affectionate father.  

Today when I recall some events in the family, I feel privileged to be part of his life, for I have watched him closely as to how he lived his life. He enjoyed his work and was very committed to whatever task was entrusted to him. 

He spent all the weekends with us, as a family, Mondays was the weekly off – and that day was always special in our family. He shopped on that day, brought in plenty of seasonal fruits, and was very hospitable towards his colleagues who visited him that day, he enjoyed good food, and I have never heard him complain about food, he ate with gratitude whatever was set before him. 



He taught all the nine children to be grateful every day for whatever we had, he told us to trust in the Lord at all times, and encouraged us to spend time in the church.

He cared for the family, as  small little girl I watched him rise in the early hours and make tea for the family, he would be ready to go to church, and never forgot to visit St Anthony’s chapel on Tuesdays.  He had great respect for Our Lady of Health, Velankanni and loved to make visits to the shrine at Nagapattanam, in Tamilnadu. 

I still cherish a small little brass pot which he purchased for me from the shrine – I loved that brass pot, and used to fill water in the pot, later on my mother used it to keep flowers in that same brass pot, because it had a traditional look.

I have preserved that pot till today, I brought it along with me, when I got married  to my in laws place and whenever I look at that brass pot, I think of my dad, for my name is engraved in Tamil as Janet on that pot.

Today he is no more, but he continues to live in my life! I am glad that he was my father !

Happy Birthday Dad !
 

4 comments:

  1. This is such a lovely tribute to your father Genevive - my heart was warmed in reading it. I think of my father - and mother - often and feel blessed indeed that I had them as parents. My father was reticent and very much of old school where affections were not expressed much. Nevertheless he taught me necessary values of e.g. fairness, truth, compassion, kindness.

    I hope you all had a lovely day yesterday as a family. I love the story of the little brass pot!

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    1. Thanks Susan, nice to know that you liked this post, I agree with you about how men culturally are conditioned not express emotions openly.. my dad was very protective about us (we were 4 girls & 5 boys) and he would keep threatening and warning my brothers if they laid their hands on us... happy to know that yo have picked up great values from your dad.. and yes the brass pot is still there... I tried to make it shine and my name got erased... when i went to the same shrine .. I made my husband pick up another brass pot for my daughter as a memorable item from her dad...

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  2. What a beautiful tribute to your father! Definitely a reason for gratitude. Thank you so much for sharing.

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    1. Thanks Laurel ! I appreciate your motivational gratitude reminders, I am glad to hear from you... thanks again..

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