19 years seems so distant, yet I remember every detail of his face and it's aged lines of 86 years, the glasses on his nose signifying I was could be in trouble, or on his forehead signifying I was definitely in trouble! Greater still I recall the details of those moments we shared together: whether it was gardening, sailing on the Orinoco, Aruka or the Pomeroon Rivers, gracing our cows, watching him hold my mom close to his cheeks as they waltzed to music of their time, seeing the pride in his eyes at my performances on stage, when I brought home good grades , or even the moments when he would sit me down to seriously scold or counsel me...
They say a father is a girls first love and that's nothing but the truth! Daddy was such a wise, soft spoken, principled human being who loved and revered our mom and protected his children. He taught me that there is gentleness in strength and strength in gentleness.
He was an exemplary citizen, who believed in community service. He was instrumental in organizing the first secondary school in the region we lived in, and was the uncontested president of my school's P. T.A. for several years. An avid reader, he introduced me to biographical accounts of great leaders of the Western World, reknown civil leaders at home and abroad, and authors like Dale Carnegie. He was instrumental in my interest in a life of political- community service.
Daddy was an eloquent speaker, with a vocabulary matching the learned men of his time. He was Master's of Cermony at, what seemed like every community activity, which called for one. It was my cousin's birthday and my dad called upon me to make a speech. I was mortified, because I was a very shy and introverted child. I said something mundane in my speech then dashed out of the room where the celebrations were. I hid under a tree and begun to cry, knowing my dad was disappointed because my speech did not measure up to the likes of his. Thoughts raced through my mind: "why couldn't he have told me before?" ( may have faked illness not to be there) "could have prepared a speech." My dad did something that would forever transform my life. He found me and said: " Child if you continue to practice public speaking, one day you will become an eloquent speaker." Was it true? Was he trying to motivate me? I would never know.
What I do know, is that that experience had such a profound affect on my life! Pretty soon, under the guidance of Norma Young, Martin Roberts, George Imhoff, Claude St Romain Sr, George Price, Lenny Chan-A-Sue, the drama club, debating club, the stage was being set to prepare me to walk in the footsteps of my father. I spoke at Queens College at the age of sixteen and made our national news paper. Since then I have been privileged to confidently speak before audiences of over 5000 people. (Babcock University in Weat Africa, Eastern Africa, North America, South and Central America, and the Caribbean).
Today I celebrate and honor my dad for what he gave me. He gave me roots which have grown deeply and strong, wings to fly high and far! I am currently in the land of his birth, with a desire to make a contribution to this great nation which has helped in molding the woman I am becoming. I spoke today about "Renewing the Broken Brain." Tomorrow, God's willing, I will be speaking on " Nutrition (it's four stages in the process of acquiring and maintaining great health).
Will travel through Brazil and then onto Venezuela, the land of my mom's origin. A wealth of multi- ethnic-cultural heritage gaven to me by my parents. Wish he were here to feel his soft hands , to hear that strong, gentle voice of reason, to seek his wise counsel or just to say: " Thanks dad for believing in me when I miserably doubted myself. In your honor, I can only strive to be a parent as you have been to me, to encourage and support my own children and grandchildren to believe that they can!
Forever possessing a tender place in my heart daddy....thank you for teaching me by your example!
