Here's another story for all of you... in honor and celebration of my late father and hero, whose happy-go-lucky, cheerful and humble personality was the highlight of my childhood. I was so lucky I got to live with him in the last year of his life, as the assistant manager of an oil palm estate in Teluk Anson. Living with him, I learned to ride the gardener Ayya's Raleigh bicycle twice my size, was best friends with Kumar, Storekeeper Maniam's son, and life was simple and beautiful. My Papa learned to speak Tamil so he could communicate with his workers effectively, lovingly and respectfully. And they LOVED him so much, they would cook the yummiest food for us almost every day. The evening my Papa had his second fatal heart attack, hundreds of estate workers were there at the Teluk Intan hospital to pay their respects.
And much respect and undying love for my beautiful and strong mother, who had to play both father and mother to us at such a young age with no help from anyone else. I used to wonder how she could afford to bring 3 kids up when she earned a tiny salary of RM1,200 as a secretary (this was in the mid 80s) "We don't need to ask anyone for help or for money. We may not have as much as other people have, but you and your siblings will never go hungry." Mom fought cancer stage 4 fiercely, refusing chemo for 15 years, outliving the doctor who gave her only 6 months - a true cancer warrior.
Happy Father's Day... I miss you both and wish you could be here to share my life, a few little achievements and my dreams today.
I'll always be so grateful to you both for being my inspiration and my drive to work hard, stay humble, stay strong, give my best and to be the best version of myself I could ever hope to be 💜
#TiaraJjourney #MyParents #TiaraJLifeStory
