A Letter To My Father

To my Papa,

          Today is my day of making a letter to my beloved father. A day to give expression and appreciation, for the love and care they have received and are receiving, from my father. Knowing  you care little for a lot of sentimental or emotional praise, I will limit my words of praise by saying  I have, in my life time, meet and known many fine fathers, and have read about many great men , yet, I can truthfully say I am glad  I am your daughter.

There are several reasons why I am glad you are my father.  First, you made my years of childhood and youth a period of life delightful to live over in my memory.  A pleasure I engage in perhaps more than I would if I could see you more often. My memory of my fellowship with you during my childhood and youth are crammed with vivid recollections of delightful experiences we had together during those years.  You may not have had the money to give me everything I wanted, but I don't remember about that.  I do remember you giving me something of greater value, that father-to-daughter fellowship between father and daughter that money cannot buy at any price.

Second, you taught me more by example than words the principle of honesty which you defined as always telling the truth, never telling a lie about anything, paying your just and honest debts, fulfilling all of your promises to other people, and never taking anything that didn't belong to you.  

Then you made me conscious of the reality of God.  That is, you made me believe there was a God.  This you did not by sermons or pious words, but rather by the calmness of your personality, which radiated daily that faith and assurance about life that makes others God conscious.  The God you taught me to seek after, and prayed I might come to know, was a God to be trusted and obeyed, rather than some kind of king in heaven to be worshiped by anthems and long prayers on Sunday, only to be ignored when dealing with one another.   You made me realize you worshiped, and fellowshipped, with a God who expected you to be true and faithful in all your transactions with your fellow man.  Long before I knew, in a personal way, that God expected as much from me, I knew that you expected it.   I do not remember ever hearing you say you had the faith and confidence in your sons, that they would behave themselves, and be honest and dependable.   But as far back as I can remember I felt you expected as much of me, and took it for granite that I would. Wherever I went, whatever I was doing or planning to do, the consciousness that you expected me to do the right thing was, and is, ever with me. 

                I know that were not with you. And we know that you always did your best at your work there at Kuwait for us. That’s why I’m very happy that you’re my father. You’re the best for me. Take care always there for us. We love you and we miss you so much.

Roxanne Mercado