Dad

Solutions are the quintessence of my father. He doesn’t talk much, but he always comes up with solutions in life. He’s like the ground supporting everyone, even when nobody knows that he’s the one who provides solutions. He said he would rather be the quiet one, who nobody knows, but quietly getting everyone backed up.

I once saw an animated cartoon that an old man dedicated his whole life, planting acorns into the soil of a barren mountain. He was never known to anyone, even after he passed away. But the trees and forest remember him. Generations after generations, all the people and communities of people who settled down among the mountain and forest, enjoying their lives under the trees of the mountain, they never know that once upon a long time ago, there was the old man who spent his whole life planting the seeds, diligently, with just an unseen vision in his head, even though knowing that he may never see it manifesting not even a single day his life time.

Same with my Dad, he’s always the quiet one, but always the one that I know I can trust upon. It was another unexpected rainy day. I didn’t bring a rain coat. But I know for certain, my Dad would show up miraculously with a raincoat. So I waited, like many times before… My friend, the boy who sat next to me in the class also waiting… He asked me “what are you waiting for?” I said “waiting for my Dad to show up with a rain coat”. I asked “what are you waiting for?” he said “waiting for the rain to stop”…

It was bitter and sweet feeling to see that when everybody else waiting for the dreadful situation to pass on in life, but I have something like a miracle in the middle of rainy day that I can always count upon.

Yet, there were times that I actually didn’t need Dad to ride 30 or 40 minutes bicycle ride to come rescuing me. Maybe I did remember to bring a raincoat or some friend offered me one. But Dad would be still diligently showing up waiting for me, some time in the rain for hours, two or three hours… (We didn’t have phone back then.) And when both me and mom got back home, found that Dad’s still not back, and we had to ride bicycle all the way back in the rain to get him, and only to find out that he’s still stubbornly waiting there in the rain… Yet, he’s still quiet, no emotion showing up on his face. It’s just another day in life… nothing changed, nor rain, nor snow, nor windstorm, nothing can change the way how he carries himself.

He seldom smiles. He’s just there, by my sids, whenever I need him. To be able to win his smile, I have to make extra effort and establish something extraordinary, it felt like the biggest award I ever gained in life, whenever I was rewarded with his smile.

Footprints, solid footprints. When I was little, I like to walk upon his footprint. He would be walking in the front, holding his hands behind, and I would be the one staying behind him, mimicking him in the similar manner, the way how he walk and carried himself. He walked deliberately, like an old wise man, me following him behind, like a deliberate little wise man. I still see him in my dreams often… some time even for a fleeting moment, I see the glint memory of him. His steady steps pressing upon the earth, each footprint steadily plant a solid seed of wisdom deeply into the earth… slow, but steady, leaving renounced and remarkable footprint behind. I learned how to be a person like him… I actually wanted to say how to be a man like him. I often picture myself as a man, as a remarkable man like my dad, even though I am not. But I felt if I am, maybe that bonding between us two will be even stronger. But nevertheless, I still learn the wisdom and the essence from him. He sparked my very early interest and passion in seeking knowledge of any trade. I remember those days, I felt like a sponge soaking water and oceans of knowledge tirelessly… books after books… It is always fun no matter where my dad took me to.. whether the real world or the imaginary world… even better in the imaginary world.. in that world, I swam freely like a fish, and soared highly as an eagle..

Singing is something Dad doesn’t do often. Like that he doesn’t speak much, staying mute most of the time, he sings even less. I probably only heard him singing once. Mom always say that Dad can sing really well, the deep mellow voice, carries the vibration miles away… But inside his inner world, his mind must be filled with abundant of joy, colors and music, rich and blissful knowledge of his inner world.. even though he chose not to express it out.

Before Dad reached 6 years old, he never spoke a single word, the whole family thought he was dumb. But one day, he fell on the ground, and hurt himself real bad, he suddenly cried out very loud, and the whole family were shocked.. Aha! you actually are able to make a sound.. but why you were quiet the whole time?

“Cause there’s no need for me to speak, I don’t have anything important to say”… he said.

So plain on the surface, but yet so rich inside. And once such deeply buried gem shines, it glows out so brightly, the whole universe felt lightened up by his inner wisdom… The deeply buried and subdued inner love and warmth brightens my life, my heart, and pierces through the darkest nights in life, and made the unpredictable ever-shifting waters in the ocean of this lifetime easier to navigate throughout my life.