A special post, for a Very special one

On this special day,
here a post dedicated to very special one

To my father
on his birthday...

I will not try to summarize his journey, or mine

I will not mention what he did and how he lived

But I really want that my kids know something about their grandfather

When they grow up, and when time is suitable to tell them about these facts

I’m afraid life would be too hectic

I’m afraid I would forget

I’m afraid I won’t have the courage to talk about all this 

So this is to you boys

Please read it carefully and live the moments and feel the love I have for this great man

It’s not going to be a biography

But just simple facts, flashbacks, and memorable moments

** 1980: my very first memory with dad is me sitting in an 1976 brown Chevrolet, looking at a car in front of us, waiting for its stoplights, and playing who would say

it first when it turns on and off (taffit, dawwit!) it was just on the way back from airport I assume, 4 years old, coming back from Kuwait where he used to work, and where I was born

** 1980-1988: civil war.

He travels to Abu Dhabi, comes in a visit twice a year, with a suitcase. We Always waited eagerly for the suitcase to open

Which was full of toys, sweets, dolls, and many other stuff… we were the first to have a Casio Keyboard, a video-cam, a stereo with separate speakers, Atari, and VHS movie player!

During this time I used to write letters to him

Yes, it was the time of letters, envelopes, pens and papers…

I wrote him songs and out stickers

And we received his letters almost weekly, often with photos or cassettes

** 1988: dad is in Beirut, and my brother is so excited. He’s just got his computer. The first in the neighborhood probably, with a small screen weighting above 4kg!

** 1989: our first visit to Abu dhabi! And my first real activities with my father.

It included waking up early (5:30 AM), going to the beach with him and my younger sister, collecting shells and special stones, swimming, enjoying the morning sun and then coming back with all the excitement in the world.

** 1994: our second visit to Abu Dhabi during the summer. We got to know him even better. 

** 1998: he retired and lived back home with us. Yet he continued working, editing books, writing articles for several magazines.

** 1999: he attended my graduation, and insisted that he heard HIS name when I was on stage.

(surely cuz my full name was mentioned including his). He was so proud that night.

** 2001: I told him about the opportunity I got to get a scholarship and continue my post graduation studies in Berlin for 3 years

Without hesitation he encouraged me and the night I traveled he hugged me for a long time and I saw tears in his eyes. He insisted it was because he felt so proud 

** 2004:  4 months after I came back from Germany we found out he was ill.

He passed away after a 6 months’ fight with Cancer spending the last month in Abu Dhabi, the city he loved so much, and in which he is buried now.

I tried to travel there but didn't arrive on time to see him before he passed away.
three days later I came back home with my mom, with the memory that was still in my head: a Great Man

** He and I had many things in common

I have his eyes

Bookworms

Trying new food

The travel bug

The need to change

Writing

The most important thing we shared is the non-stop will to learn and the motivation to work

I clearly remember that in the last couple years of his life we watched CNN almost all the time… it was because he wanted to improve his English literacy and he was asking me about new words and meanings all the time!

he was able to search the internet, and he insisted on having his own HP printer… (at that time, one of 30 houses had internet, and 1 of 100 people his age were able to use it!)

I was so proud of him since he was the only one in his age at that time, who mastered the computer and the web.

** When he was asked once by someone: how much money did u collect after working all  these years in gulf countries?

he replied: I have four buildings

The man nodded with appreciation when my father explained to him that his son and his three daughters are all engineers and that is for him like owning real buildings

And that education is what matters to him not how much money there was in his account.

** souriy al hawiyya, loubnani al hawa

that's what he used to answer anyone asking him about his nationality!
a simple translation would be: Syrian by ID, Lebanese by heart!

**I wish I have the courage to do a proper biography, to detail his journey in journalism, his infinite dedication to the people he loved, his sacrifices to make us happy

He lived most of his life as a foreigner, in another country, to be able to educate us, to satisfy our dreams and for us to have a successful career...
I wish I could talk for ever about him, his generosity, his dedication and his efforts to tie us to his family!
about his jokes and discussions and smiles...
about the long journeys we made by car, discovering new places...

This post can go on and on forever...
and that's how it should be...
An endless story of the infinite love I feel and will always feel towards you...
My dad...