Fatherβs Day carries a different weight in my heart since 2018 β the year I said goodbye to my beloved dad, Ramchit Ramesh Thomas. Though the years have passed, the ache of missing him never truly fades. But neither does the love. Neither does the legacy.
Donβt get me wrong, I am thrilled that my kids were able to create memorable moments with their Dad, doing their fun creations and seeing them all excited but this Fatherβs Day, I find myself reflecting on Daddy a lot. It is not just about the man he was, but on the quiet, enduring power of the life he lived β and the strength he showed, especially during his battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). That journey was painful to witness, but in the midst of it, Daddy remained kind, brave, and deeply loving β right to the end.
Daddy loved life, he valued comradry, he seized any opportunity to help because this was his very nature and he always gave his best. He taught us never to give up and he took care of everyone around him. He was genuine, straightforward and full of life. His life was one of service and dedication and he always taught us how to be good and do good.
He and Mummy were always a team and they are the best parents we could ask for. They taught us how to pray, how to care, how to be genuine and to treat others as we would like to be treated because this is the way Daddy lived and the way Mummy continues to live. Daddy was not just the president of the Coromandel Shiv Mandir or the man who worked Petrotrin for the majority of his life, but he was well loved and respected by all who knew him because of how he lived, and this defined who he was.
In 2018, I wrote a post titled In Loving Memory of My Dad, Ramchit Ramesh Thomas (read it here). It was my way of beginning to process the unimaginable β learning to live without him while holding onto everything he left behind in spirit: his values, his faith, his quiet humour, his deep sense of responsibility.
Today, I continue that tribute by dedicating my first play, Shattered Dreams and Silver Linings, to his memory. This play has been staged once and it was in the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre in Bridgetown, Barbados. It is a story shaped by reality and awareness β by brokenness and hope, echoing that life can change in a split second by a few words that explain months of symptoms that go unexplained. In many ways, it is our story. The journey of loss, yes β but also of grace, love, and the ability to rise. The idea for this play came from a combination of several things- personal experience, an understanding of a lack of awareness when it comes to dealing with challenging medical conditions and a desire to help others plan ahead for difficult situations.Β
Though he never got to see this chapter of my life unfold, he was aware of the publication of Eternal Inspiration which I dedicated to him and Mummy. I know his presence is always with me. My dad was never one for loud declarations, but his presence was powerful β gentle yet grounding. That same quiet strength is what carries me today.
So, this Fatherβs Day, I honour him not only with memories, but with purpose. I honour him by continuing to live a life he would be proud of. I honour him by telling stories that matter β because he mattered.
He is loved, missed, and remembered always.
His story lives on in ours.
Read the original tribute from 2018 here
And my Fatherβs Day reflection post here
Celebrating Existence 