Letter to my father

2 years ago, I got the dreaded call. My worst fear had come alive. Life changed forever. A part of me still refuses to believe you're gone baba. This really sucks. I miss you every single day. They are right when they say money can't buy everything. All I want is 5 minutes with you again. To hug you and tell you how much you mean to me and the world. What happened was wrong and unfair. Then again as you used to say "Who said life is fair?" I'm trying to build up a life for myself again baba. It has been tough rebuilding but you helped me build the proper foundation. I'm very grateful we always said what was on our minds. I'm thankful we always told each other how much love, mutual respect, and pride there was for each other. I am trying to live my life true to myself, it made us both happy. I wish you could've come to see me in Toronto now, truly living and thriving. I know you're looking after me from up there like you always have. I think about all the times you expressed support for me both vocally and otherwise, that helped me build my self-confidence. One of my core memories is at a gathering where my mother kept talking about my poor grades and you stood up for me. "This education system isn't designed for people like Shomik. I want him to go abroad, once he gets there he will fly"

Every time I posted something on social media, you'd be the first to comment and share it. If we're lucky in life we get 1 person that unconditionally fights and cheers for us. For me, it was you, my baba. It sucks you're not going to be there going forward. Like always, we will figure it out. We always do. As you used to say every time with a big smile and calm tone whenever I got frazzled, "Not to worry, we will figure it out."

The tears don't really go away. Thankful for the community around but this void is impossible to fill.

I love you very much. You take care of yourself. I'm doing my part. I'm not perfect but I'm getting there.

One day we'll meet again on the other side. It'll be like the scene from Interstellar when Cooper meets his daughter. You will be the same age as I last saw you, I will be much older than when you last saw me. Will we have saved humanity by communicating through the fabric of space and time? Probably not. We will have witty one-liners ready for the moment we meet though.

We'll have a good, long chat about a life lived, the laughter, the tears, and all the joy.

Yours,

Shomik