TRIBUTE TO OUR DEAR FATHER
What appropriate words can we find to pay tribute to our beloved father? Oh!! Daa, we miss you so so much. Why? Can we question God? We can only thank him for the privilege of having you for a father.
Those who have lived a good life do not fear death, but meet it calmly and even long for it in the face of great suffering. The challenge is to live our life so that we will be prepared for death when it comes.
One thing that Daddy used to say was how he didn't know nor remember his given name Godwin, because the father who gave it to him, he neither knew nor remembered. We are glad that that cycle ended there. Since his father passed away when he was still young, it was very important for him to spend as much time as possible with his children to offer us the very best of himself. Daddy was a man of principle, his yes was his yes and no was no, through his amazing sense of humour he still insisted on what he believed was right.
He was a devoted Christian and loved his Hymns, even in his times of suffering he sang with tears in his eyes still believing in God for good health. It turns out God had other plans, plans to take him from his misery to the Heavens above where he could still sing his favourite hymns with an assembly of angels but this time with no tears in his eyes.
The legacy that you leave behind is not only the many people you’ve touched, not the many places you’ve been, nor the insults you throw at us when you deemed it fit, but some part of you that you have left within each of us. Whether it was your charm, your boisterousness, but hopefully not your gallivanting. We are also thankful that we can depend on each other to ensure that each one makes it in life as you taught us.
You always said the greatest inheritance you could leave us was the quality education you could provide, but you taught us more than we could ever imagine, your humility in your selfless service to your profession and the special affection you had for us your children and all other children that came your way, your determination to get things done as soon as possible, even if you had to go out of your way to get them done.
We would always cherish every memory of you in a special way, how you woke us all up in the early hours of the morning with Hymns playing loudly from the sound systems, how you would see our examination results and would just toss it aside saying “we could do better” even when we had straight A’s, just to bring out the very best in us, all the trips to Sunyani, all the family dinners we had and all the rib cracking moments you shared with us.
We are thankful to have found a place that we call home, we are thankful to have known you, Daddy. We are thankful that you got the chance to know the Christ. Your final words to us were “Don’t be afraid” and “Thank you” and this memory we’ll forever cherish.
Words cannot say how we feel at this moment, but we know you can see through us, our hearts are bleeding but we can only thank God for keeping us strong through this difficult time. As we mourn your passing away we also celebrate a life well-lived and take heart, knowing you have fulfilled your God-given assignment and in the fact that you are free from all your pains and suffering. May you sleep soundly in the bosom of the Lord till we meet again. Rest in Perfect Peace...
Daddy Yaa wo jogbaa”...