Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Photos of Dad


Siblings on the beach

In this photo, we're at a picnic at the beach.  My Dad hated the beach, but if the family went, he usually went, too.  Here he is (on the left) in his usual beach clothing (button-down shirt and slacks), doing his usual beach activity:  reading the newspaper.  Isn't that what everybody does at the beach?  

The man to his immediate right is his younger brother, my uncle.  I would appreciate your prayers for him - he is having surgery next week.  In the last few years of my father's life, my uncle came to visit him frequently, even though it was a long way to travel.  A great example of a faithful brother.

In honor of my Dad's birthday today, here are a few more photos of Dad, doing things he loved.

Trying an interesting mode of transportation
We are riding on top of the car, through the desert in Pakistan.  That's me in the middle, my Dad on the right.  We got in big trouble for traveling this way - not a safety issue, but a cultural issue.  You'd think the safety issue would have been enough incentive for us not to do this.


Singing, in costume
"Oh, a pirate's life is a wonderful life!"  That's my son on the right, playing a diminutive Captain Hook.  He's a bit taller now.


He was a chess and scrabble fiend.

Cooking: squatting like a Pakistani while shelling cardamom pods
When my Mom went back to work, my Dad took up cooking. He learned how to make the cuisine of his childhood - Punjabi cooking.  He made chapattis (flat whole-wheat bread) from scratch, cooking them right on the burner's open flame, flipping them with his bare fingers.  They puffed right up like pillows!  He made the best dal (lentil stew).  Shah Jehani Biryani, Murgh Methi, Aloo Mattar, and more.  

Such a fascinating life he lived.  He always looked for chances to show us, his children, interesting things and places.  He was always learning.  I'm thankful to God for his life.
 



7 comments:

Angie said...

Wonderful memories! I'm so glad I got to meet this dear man.

Sarah said...

Amazing pictures! Love the memories.

Anonymous said...

He sounds like a fascinating man--the things he did! The things he learned! And how can you not like a man who goes to the beach with his family and endures it with a newspaper.

Cassi said...

Were you in Pakistan as a child? Or did he grow up there? What did he do? Have I missed some earlier post where you talked about this?

Common Household Mom said...

Cassi, I don't think I ever talked about this on the blog (or at least not much).

My father was the son of missionaries in India. He was born in the US but grew up in Punjab (which is now in both Pakistan and India). When he was about 16, post WWII, he returned to the US on a troop ship with his mother and brother. He went to college in the US.

I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1978 we went on a family trip to India, partly to see the places where my father grew up. In April 1990, we went on a family trip to Pakistan for the same purpose. I was about 29 years old, engaged but not yet married.

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

I'm glad that you already answered Cassi's question because I was going to ask the same one.
I wonder why he didn't like the beach? Such a great picture to capture the memory: him reading a newspaper with his brother next to him.
Sharing the photos is a fabulous way to keep his memory.

The Crislers said...

What a lovely tribute to your dad, he does sound fascinating! I love the photos.