FATHER⏤YOU ARE ONE SUN IN MY HEART

Hello, Dear Parent Friends of the Web! 

Here is a touch of my wisdom... to make a difference in the tapestry of life. 

FATHER⏤YOU ARE ONE SUN IN MY HEART

Thirty-Seven years ago, on July 28,1986 

I was shattered beyond words

having learned about your demise, 

in a land far away

from where we, the family, did reside.

You were my very blessed father

whose desire was fulfilled

to pass away in your motherland

where much of your memories lived

Your disappearance, then, was our deep loss

In our inability to recognize 

that 'emptiness' permeates

the nature of 'being and becoming'

⏤the constant in LIFE⏤ 

subjected to the moral law of causality 

in operation, upon the field 

of interdependence and coexistence

in space and time

Today, I realize, 

after much reflection and insight

that you are present 

in every bout of my human experience

unobstructed by demarcations

and differentiations of material kind

My beloved father, 

each time I think, speak, and act

you are my conditioning spirit⏤

beside my mother

traveling with me in space and time

while I am inseparably bound

and discretely fashioned

by the cumulative corporeal rhythms

of all beings of sentience

sharing the cosmic matrix

from beginning less time

I remember 

through my maturing phases

from childhood through adulthood 

that you held a special place in my heart

as the most commanding presence 

in my life⏤unsurpassed by any other

with the exception of my wondrous mother

I was your one and only daughter

your faithful ambassador 

your ever-ready advocate 

and unexcelled admirer 

in all weather and through all strides

My father, your regal presence, then 

and the ever-lasting imprints 

of all your virtuous expressions

laid in my heart 

by way of body-speech-mind

will only grow the roots of virtue in me

through the eternity of time

I cherish my childhood memories

together with my two loving brothers

when you showered us 

with your unconditional affection

tempered with fatherly discipline and devotion

while you rose up to the occasion

to play the role of both father and mother

especially in the absence of my mother 

while she was away, overseas

in England⏤in 1957 

and in USA⏤in 1967

in pursuit of her dreams and ambitions

for the sole betterment of the family

I remember how you read books

every afternoon after the mid-day meal

engaging the attention and interest

of your three young children 

who sat beside you with childhood fervor 

and enthusiasm 

We were each just six, seven, 

and ten years of age, then 

in our childhood home in Polhengoda⏤

a modest suburb of Colombo, Ceylon

I remember the wholesome lifestyle we led

imbued with simplicity and moderation

sitting together at the table with you, my father 

in the company of my mother and brothers 

for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

You cherished my mother’s gift

of loving and nurturing with warmth⏤

being gracefully served with food 

in the order of seniority

I remember how you fed us each 

a spoonful of Cod Liver Oil

each night after dinner

while we were young and tender

silently assuring us the gift 

of health and vitality

I remember how you imparted 

your fatherly advice

to your three children with heartfelt emotion

the night before my day in matrimony

You  directed your special attention 

upon each of us

making your solemn plea 

that we sustain our loving,

giving, and caring for each other

⏤in all weather⏤

through the entirety of our lives

while we played our sacred sibling roles 

as two brothers and a sister

Indeed, father, we are your faithful heirs

looking up at you and our mother 

with deep reverence

To this day, each of us three siblings 

live to protect each other

This great gift of caring 

held between siblings 

with unconditional love and respect 

has been passed on 

to our precious children

Father, you epitomized charity, morality, 

calm abiding and enduring wisdom

by your very demeanor, like no other

Your resolute quality of extending 

unwavering kindness and compassion

towards your fellow humans 

as well as all other beings of sentience 

fashioned our character surely, by example

We are who we are today, 

because of you⏤our beloved father 

You journeyed along the path of parenting 

along with our mother

with amazing grace and honor

Let me walk you along the path of peace and grace. 

Humanity cries out loud for help.