TRIBUTE TO MY BELOVED DADDY
MR. TITUS NTUNGWEN FOMUSO
Where do I start when talking about my beloved Daddy, a man with contagious faith in God, the loving husband of my mom, the exceptional father, the outstanding Grandpa!? Do I start by talking about his exemplary demonstration of love or his very warm hugs that always gave me security since childhood? Do I talk about the way he always took time to listen and encourage me to pursue my dreams?
Do I talk about how his consoling words made even the heaviest load easier to carry? Do I talk about his problem solving skills, his adventurous nature, his warm gentle strength, his love for people and how he made sure his children had a good balance of exposure to different standards of living and respect for people from all backgrounds? Do I talk about how he made each of his children feel very special, but still had enough love to share with the rest of the family and the world? and how he always took time to gently kiss the cheeks of his grandchildren? Do I talk about how hardworking he was, his encouraging words, his words of wisdom, his words of praise, or his appreciation of good things and enthusiastic embrace of advanced technology and innovation? Do I talk about his positive attitude and how even in the darkest of days, he reassured us, telling us that the Almighty God is in control….?
Oh my beloved Daddy! I truly don’t know where to start! My beloved Daddy, my earthly solid rock, the one who always believed in me even during my childhood days when I had many nick names. My beloved Daddy who encouraged me to dream, who joined me in dreaming and joined me in praising God when dreams came true!
My beloved Daddy! You were a very special man! You showed us the example of being a great son in the loving way you treated your mother and involved your children in serving her. In addition to that, you showed us the example of also being a great sibling, husband, father, grandfather, friend, family member, leader… through the outstanding ways you embraced the many roles you had. You made sure to be very involved in the upbringing of your children even when the house was full. We witnessed fairness, integrity, humility, dignity, genuine love and genuine respect for people through you. Our doors were always open to all and you raised us to treat each and every one living in our house with the same respect regardless of whether they were family or friend or house helper.
My beloved Daddy! You went through many health problems, but never let anything hinder you from making good use of everyday you had. You made sure to live everyday with joy and gratitude, while encouraging those around you to do the same. I will greatly miss the comforting feeling I always felt when I sat beside you, how you listened to me and how you greeted me with warm hugs and smiles. I will greatly miss how you proudly introduced me to people and took time to explain how I got my names. I will greatly miss how you held my hands, hugged me and always told me everything will be ok. I will greatly miss how you wiped my tears and held my hands to stand up in times of weakness. I will greatly miss your straight forward ways of talking that gave good guidance. Even when we didn’t agree on a point, you always gave me the opportunity to express myself. You humbly apologized whenever you thought you needed to, just like you listened and gave the opportunity for others to correct things with you and move on.
I will greatly miss you Daddy! I will greatly miss your magnetic warm presence, your warm smile, your phone calls, the vibrant ways you answered your phone and the prestigious nick names you called me. I will greatly miss the ways you made me feel special by patting the space close to you for me to sit beside you and have one-on-one interaction with you even in a room full of people. I will greatly miss seeing you seated at your favorite spots. I will greatly miss hearing your interesting stories. I will greatly miss your contagious heartwarming laughter. I will greatly miss hearing your confident deep singing voice. I will greatly miss you stopping by to check on us. Seeing you take your last breath was very heartbreaking Daddy! But what consoles me is that I know you are with The Lord. You have left a very big vacuum Daddy! Not having you around will be very difficult, but I will hold on to the wonderful memories of you my extraordinary Daddy. Thank you very much Daddy for being an exceptional father and for sacrificing so much to give us the best standards of living. Thank you very much for your emotional, physical, social and financial generosity. I thank the Almighty God for your 78 years of life (including your eight bonus years like you thankfully called the years after turning 70). I will miss you very much Daddy. Rest with The Lord till we meet again. I love you very much Daddy. Your legacy lives on!
With love and gratitude from your beloved daughter,
Nandet