A Tribute to My Abba !

I just spoke with my dad - My Abba after almost a week. He called me from the Jeddah Airport as he was on his way to India to visit his ill older brother, after completing his Hajj Mashallah, which is not a minor accomplishment. (The Hajj is the largest pilgrimage in the World to Mecca, Saudia Arabia.  It is one of the five pillars of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out by every healthy Muslim who can afford it at least once in their life time.
 Although, I don't live with him anymore I can definitely feel his absence. He is a regular visitor at 1826 who seldom comes empty handed. He always has his hands full with the best juices, fruit, cookies, chocolates etc. He is known for having the best taste in almost everything from groceries, to women's clothes to jewelry. However, his best quality is his kind and welcoming nature. Mashallah! No matter whom it is, and how much space he has his door is ALWAYS open and will stay open for not days, not months but literally years if need be. I remember growing up with always some relative or friend staying with us, even if it meant Abba having to sleep in the family room, although that was not necessarily a bad thing for him as it gave him a chance to bundle up and sleep in front of the TV - his favorite past-time, followed by Traveling and Photography (he will make you pose for 20 minutes to take one shot but that photo no doubt will be frame worthy).
His fourth favorite has got to be inviting an outrageous number of people to dinner and persisting on cooking the ENTIRE meal himself, from the salad to the dessert. Oh.. how we dread these "dawats" (parties), as it means total chaos not only in the kitchen but everywhere else as well, from the moment the first guest arrives till the last one leaves after which we each have to dedicate an hour to clean. But in the end it is all worth it as it makes him so happy!
Abba's happiness holds an extremely special place in my heart, as he has never had it easy. He spent most of his childhood with his Uncle as his mother passed away when he was maybe 2 - 3 years old. By age 15 he was pretty much on his own, from what I have heard from his relatives as he himself does not really talk about the hardships he has had to face in the past. However his toughest time must have been to see Ammi (my mother) lose her 8 year battle with Cancer. I remember him spending sleepless nights willingly looking after her, cleaning up after her and catering to her every need, and then going to work at 6 AM in the morning without any complaints. He never married again as he did not want his young children to have to adjust to a new person.
Now that I am older, I realize how unconditional his love is for us and how many sacrifices he has made. I can easily say that he has always given me everything that I have asked for and has NEVER let me down. I hope I too am able to meet all his expectations one day and never let him down. Aameen!
Miss you Abba..Come Back Soon!