AN ODE TO DAD

-

I had no clue you had taken ill on August 28, which coincidentally was my 4th wedding anniversary. Somehow, I had missed a call from home, hence my not being in the known about your worsening ill-health. While at my study, in the early hours of the following day (around 2am – 29th August), my phone rung. Reaching for my phone, I noticed it was yet another call from home. I suddenly felt uneasy, sensing that something unpleasant may have happened. The call brought the unfortunate news of your sudden passing in a health facility a couple of minutes earlier. I was lost for words, and for a while, I could not hold back my tears.

In spite of multiple premonitions earlier this year of your imminent departure, and despite your advanced age, I had prayed and hoped God would grant you a few more years, especially so since I had some unrealized plans up my sleeves, with you and mum in mind. But a las, your sojourn on earth had ended.

I am saddened but also grateful to God for blessing you with such a long and impactful life (blessed with five (5) children and ten (10) grandchildren), and ultimately blessing the family with your presence, love, care, guidance and wise counsel. My siblings and I were indeed blessed to have you as our dad.

Despite being firm, you never once laid a finger on me, even in my formative years. Of course, you never shied away from providing counsel, and in a few instances, reprimanding me.

You showed interest in my spiritual development in my teenage years, giving me the leeway (and in certain respects encouragement) to get actively involved in church-related activities, even though you were not particularly religious back then. I remember on this occasion, when I was home for vacation (during my senior secondary school days in the early 2000s), one of the first questions you asked me when I settled in, besides my studies, was whether I was involved in church-related activities in school. When I responded in the affirmative, and indicated that I was even in leadership, I saw the pleasant look on your face, and your encouraging words were never soon to be forgotten.

You respected my choices in life – including the major ones – faith, education, career and marriage pathways, among others. Yes, you sometimes asked questions and provided wise counsel. However, you never insisted on a particular course of action. And I am quite certain you did same for my other siblings, since you were never one to show favoritism.

You were generous to a fault, not only to the family but to outsiders as well. Many individuals owe you a debt of gratitude.

You were magnanimous in many ways, even in your expression of gratitude, for the little things. For every single call I placed to you in later years, you often signed-off with the expression, ‘Thank you. Thank you very, very much’. And whenever I sought to apologize for not calling you as often as I should, you always made excuses for me – often pointing to the immense pressures and stress of family and work in Ghana’s capital city, among others. You were not faking it – the genuineness in voice was always palpable. These kind and refreshing gestures always got attention.

Dad, you run the race. You kept the faith, till the full course was concluded.

Rest well, dad, till we meet again.  

Your youngest son

Daniel Dela Dunoo

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Life Well Lived: The Nabeel Qureshi Story

-
Image
1    Photo: Dr. Nabeel Qureshi       It was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who once opined: “It does not matter how long you live, but how well you live it.” Lucius Annaeus similarly noted: “Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing.” Put another way, one writer state d : "It is not the years in your life that counts, it`s the life in your years." So apt !!! This brief blog post is in loving memory of a young man whose life and ministry impacted the lives of several thousands across the globe. Dr. Nabeel Qureshi (April 13, 1983 – September 16, 2017) was a devout Ex-Muslim turned Christian apologist. He earned an M.D. from Eastern Virginia Medical School, an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, an M.A. in Religion from Duke University and M. Phil in Judaism and Christianity from the University of Oxford. It was while he was pursuing a Doctorate in New Testament Studies at the University of Oxford, h e was diag...
Read more

7 Job Search Websites Every Unemployed Graduate In Ghana Should Visit

-
Image
Image source: www.publishillinois.edu “Identify your problems, but give your power and energy to solutions” –Tony Robbins             In an earlier post I featured five top websites for job seekers in Ghana, namely businessghana.com, jobberman.com.gh, l`ainejobs.com, ghanacurrentjobs.com and joblistghana.com. I intimated that they aren`t the only job search websites in Ghana and that I will do a follow up in my next post featuring some websites that were left out in my earlier post. I present to you seven job search websites relevant to job seekers in Ghana. And in case you are at this point wondering whether or not you have enough time at your disposal to consume this piece, you do not have to worry. Trust me! It will only take you a couple of minutes to read this high value content. Breeze through this post, check the sites out at a time convenient to you and make the most of these windows of opportunities. You can never te...
Read more

Pitfalls To Circumvent In The Pursuit Of Your Dreams (Part 2)

-
Image
Image source: www.scottiehobbs.com/wp/content/uploads/2013/02/success             It will be recalled that in an earlier post I explored four pitfalls we ought to avoid while we pursue our dreams, goals, and aspirations. I took readers through an enlightening discussion of the pitfalls of self-doubt, fear, distractions, and complacency. I argued that it is essential that we circumvent these pitfalls if we truly want to see our dreams come true. I demonstrated how these pitfalls obstruct our pursuits and how we can appropriately deal with them. It is also important to recall that I expressly stated that I had a lot more to share on this subject and will do so in my next post. Consequently, I will be sharing in this post three more pitfalls we must of necessity steer clear of in our quest to translate our dreams into realities.            1.       Proc...
Read more