I think of you daily even though I do not call - you have defined me in ways beyond our DNA. When I dance and sing for my siblings, I see a lot of you in me. When I drive on the road, my tendency to speed speaks volumes of you. When I evaluate my friendships and the value they bring, the very essence of who you are presents itself in me. At the workplace, a lot of your determination sprouts and I know that I am my father's daughter. At church and in spiritual spheres of life, I know your prayers hold me and that our spirits are connected. When it comes to how I love, your sacrificial unconditional approach just jumps out. Your humility and modesty (at least before your PhD lol) is what I wear always because we know how far the LORD has brought us - all the permutations of how our lives would have turned out keep me even more humble.
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| I am you in every way... |
Today, I think of you more because you were born and I can only imagine the joy you brought to your parents and the humor you added to your throng of siblings. I think of the world giving your birth a nod because an addition had been made to kind souls. Dad, you are all the positive traits in me and I honestly celebrate your existence daily. I choose to celebrate three traits though just to keep it short and sweet. Three that stood out for me in the past year.
Your spirituality - Daddy, you are a man that strives to please God. You are a Paul/Saul of sorts when it comes to matters God. Even though your methods might be a tad abrasive, I know your heart is in the right place. You have inspired me to never stray and to constantly review, revise and strengthen my experience with God. Even when people are against you, you have always chosen to love God your way. You have been the priest our home definitely needed. When we pray in Nairobi away from your supervision and insistence, I know it is because your love for God overflows to us. We will carry this on with us. Two Bible verses I will always carry with me because I know how much family means to you and I will always know that FAMILY is my first mission field. 1 Timothy 5:8 to remember my first duty of provision is family and Numbers 31:49 to embrace life's imperfections and adversities.
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| Prayer is your first line of defense... |
Your emotions - Dad, you are the only man in my life that has shown me that to be in touch with our emotions is to truly live. You never shy away from tears - be it of joy or pain. You express fully - you wear your heart on your sleeve. You declare your love for Mom on the hilltops and I know you are the best FATHER there is because of your love for Mom. You are a clear communicator of pain and the best relief there is when I am in pain. I am never ashamed to call you because I know I will end the call in a better frame of mind. (except when some challenges need a professional counsellor lol).
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| Laughter comes so easy to you... |
Your friendliness - I will never emphasize this enough. I am the most privileged woman on earth to have been your daughter. But an even greater privilege is to be your FRIEND. I am so grateful for this on so many levels that I lack the right words to describe it. Just to know that I can call you anytime any day and about absolutely anything is a gift. To banter with you about life, work, travel and relationships late into the night is beautiful. To laugh with you and at ourselves. To walk with you in this life. To have a prayer partner in you. To know you are my number 1 fan. To have your assured words of affirmation. To know I can count on you. To be joyful introducing you to my other friends and know that you will gel. To explore the childish core of ourselves and not be ashamed. To get a little stupid once in a while and to also cry together is more than I could ever pray for.
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| My friends appreciate you too...I am because you are. |
YOU are beyond my imagination of who a father is or could be. If God gave me a million years to design the kind of Dad I would want to have, I would never come the least bit close to defining the first trait about you. So you will always remain the biggest mystery and God's inexplicable gift to me. I love you Dad and if hearts could explode because of the love they hold, mine would. Happy happy birthday. May our time together always be precious, sacred and joyful. I am grateful for you.