I am shattered since my father unexpectedly passed away two weeks ago. I will never forget this in my life. It happened in such a way that I planned my tenth anniversary trip to Hawaii. There was lot of obstacles like flight cancellation, interisland flight bankrupt. Friends said I was lucky that I could still make the trip. Me, my wife and Ishwar landed at Maui, picked up the car and checked in the hotel. Few minutes after entering the room, got a call that my dad was collapsed. It was very hard to believe. I have heard people say it's never easy to lose a parent. And they're right; it's not. My dad wasn't sick or diagnosed with a life-threatening disease. He was a healthy 65-year-old whose death was purely accidental. My friends call him Jackie Chan. He was so active.
He told his friend to be healthy like him an hour before he was collapsed. Although I'm 38, I sometimes still feel like a kid. Luckily I had the huge support of my family, and friends. And my dearest and closest friends stepped up and volunteered to get us to the funeral after a 30 hour long flight. I can't express how grateful I am. Very tough travel esp. when there was no OCI, no interisland flight, no drop off and so on.
I've been getting through this hard time by remembering the good times. Great memories of my dad and the life we shared with him. He was more of my friend than my father. If I had to share just one thing I learned from Dad, it is his positive attitude. My dad wanted the best in life. And he went all out to enjoy every day of it. A few others I should definitely share.
We are five brothers inherited gem of qualities from my dad. He was cool with inter-religion wedding. He won’t get disheartened when someone abuses but did get elated so much when some one praises. He never showed hatred against anyone. He took care of us more than a staff nurse when we get sick. He treated our wives as his own daughters. He forced us to learn foreign language when others in his cadre thought it would be expensive. Taught us how to take care of our wives and often quotes ‘naan kaanum ulahangal aval kaana vendum’. His likes ‘thannilai thaazhaamaiyum annilai thazhndhakkaal uyir vaazhaamaiyum maanam enappadum’.
My son cried and said he would like to reverse time to make a trip to India to save his grandpa.
I told my wife that she will never forget this anniversary trip thinking of Maui. I told my VP we always go to India for vacation and this would be the first time we are trying different. Apparently it turned out that I had to go to his funeral. Fate is something that you cannot fight with. But it could have taken five years from all his son to extend him another 25 years. He lives with us in our sprit.
Raja you are a wave
Appeared as a tide to save
Lead us to be brave
How can wave go grave
You are a storm
Took care of mom
Can’t be a dome
Come back home
You are the man
We are your fan
Always you ran
How could we mourn?
Man with the pride
Had on our side
Took us all for a ride
Can’t hear you died
Engal aaviyir kalandha anbu deivam Thiru Rajasekaran.
