November 28

Today is a special occasion for me and my siblings. For the reason that, 28^th of November is used to be our father’s natal day. But unlike before, today’s celebration is so idyllic, peaceful and very private. The simple family celebration yet so significant because of the family and relative’s involvement, year by year, has slowly losing its strings of strength. I terribly missed the times when our father’s birthdays were not entirely an event of grand party but a chance for us to bond and eat together in the same table. Seven years had passed since my father’s unexpected sudden demise due to heart attack, meant seven years of celebration without the celebrant himself – the person who, for a very long time, kept his siblings closed and attached from each others. Now, that we have grown up as well as my sisters and brother had settled their own family and had lived separately, November 28 has slowly becomes more of individual commemoration for us rather than of single celebration. Currently, my eldest sister and her family are living in the United States for good. My elder sister as well as my younger brother with their own families are also living separately back home (Philippines). And me, I am in the State of Qatar trying my own luck of life. Our separate locations at present somehow provided us slimmer chance to celebrate with each other together; however, I guess our individual heartbeats and our memories were kept linked and connected. This is the thing I am most proud of, no matter how far we live from each others, the knot that our father uphold for years has remained tied – strong and is going stronger even without the physical presence of the celebrant. I hope this kind of relationship between us, including my sibling’s sons and daughters, will last eternally.

Today let me utter my special thanks to the “man of the hour.” I will never get tired of celebrating your birthday even it’s already seven years had passed since you have gone. Your legacy as a father to us and as a husband to our mother will truly remain instilled in our heart and mind. November 28 may be just an ordinary date to some but for us it is the day when another legendary hero came to life.

Happy Birthday tabi Papa!