My Dad is MY Gem

My dad is my gem because he is my dad alone; and no amount of money can buy the years of his sweat and hard-earned money he devoted entirely for us.

It's been a while since I've won anything, and I didn't believe my luck when a simple entry like this won something.
I am not going to reveal much, but it's not the main point and it's not a grand prize or anything like that but it gives me an opportunity to say something about my beloved daddy, of whom I really do believe is my gem; in fact more than a gem.

My Daddy is definitely a man who has been there for me all these years; in fact for the entire family.
He has sacrificed a lot for us, I know and he did it for our happiness.
He had to go through a tough job; and yet he did not have a word of complaint in front of us kids
To him, our happiness was his ultimate aim and he did so, providing for our every needs and demands.

I still remember my daddy telling me stories about his childhood and I have seen with my very own eyes, how he never raised his voice when he speaks to his own parents
He has a strong and close relationship with my uncle, his elder brother whom he looks up to and speaks of fondly
He often tells us that we only have our siblings and our family who are closest to us, and that the trust and faith is vital in every family member
He reprimands us when we have arguments with each other and yet he rewards us with praises when we obey him and mummy

We often looked forward to him coming home from work after 5.30pm every day and we feel sad saying goodbye to him when he leaves for work early every morning
He will watch tv with us and have dinner together
'A Family who eats together, stays together' he always says
He sits on the same sofa with us and watches the 7pm family Hongkie drama, then religiously tunes in to the 8pm news on his favorite English channel
He then helps us with our maths homework and patiently tells us what is right and what is wrong and how should we do our calculation
He encourages us to think, and not to be dependent on answers given directly

He supports my bookworm reading habits and encourages me all the time
I still remember how Daddy will tell me to study hard and that I will receive my reward when I get good results
He brings me to bookstores when I top my class where I can pick any book of my choice (now that's my motivation back then, even until now!)
My daddy never stops me from buying any book of any price, as he keeps to his promise
But I know my limits and I've always toed the line
Thanks to my Daddy (and my own results), I have steadily built my own book collection over the years :)

Daddy has always stood up for us; and protects us to his best ability
I still remember feeling sick in school and Daddy will dutifully come over to school to bring me home (all the way from his office)
Even when I have gone to university and when I was doing my internship, my daddy still send and pick me up with his car, regardless of the amount of time and distance it took
I can never forget the time when Daddy stayed the night with me when I was admitted to hospital at ten for a high fever
I could also not wipe out the image of my anxious Daddy and Mummy when we were both very sick a few years ago and had to be admitted to hospital

The image of my daddy going to the bank and almost slipping his foot in the rain on that Sunday night is still very clear in my mind
He trusts us with the amount of pocket money we need and often told us to take from his wallet every single day
He never questions us whenever we want to go for any school excursion; and most of the time he approves of our requests (unless it's too expensive or unreasonable)

He is careful with his own spending, but always lavish on our needs
He saves money and does not even spend a dime on clothes or unnecessary stuffs, but yet, the moment we ask for something we really want (especially if it's related to education and school), he will give unconditionally

He never let us feel any less sufficient compared to those rich kids with super rich dads and taught us the way to live within our means
Never show off, he says, and never compare
Be humble and live within your means
He showers us with good living condition and make sure we are comfortable with our clothes and necessities
Even a hole in the sock will make him say "It's time to get a new one"

That's why I said my Daddy is not just a gem as there is no price tag worth enough to state his worth
He is priceless because he is my Daddy alone and only to us
He is unique because he belongs to no one else but us
He is more than a gem because there is no amount of money and time which can buy the years he has sacrificed and devoted entirely to us

He is everything a gem would be like, Sparkling, wanted, priceless, valuable, attractive, the best gift for every heart

And much much more
It is finally his time to enjoy his golden years and yes, we are both his pride now
We have both graduated and found our careers, and we can bring him to enjoy luxurious meals (which he loves and yet, declines, with the excuse that we should not waste money unnecessarily and that we should save whenever we could)
Yes, money can bring him comfort and luxury now
But he still saves like the old times and told us never to forget where we came from
He never nags but he constantly reminds us of our spending
Dutiful as ever, those hard and long years have taken a toll shown evident on his face, with the lines and wrinkles and graying hair
He may not be as youthful as before nor look the same physically anymore
But the true gem is not in the physical appearance alone

Even as he age, my dad never lost his sparkle in our eyes
And I definitely cannot compare my Daddy to a gem alone
He is more than what I can define
His sparkle shines ever more brightly with time as we constantly remembers in our mind his goodness and ever wonderful things he had done for us through all this time

I LOVE YOU Daddy and I must tell you that
It is not only on Father's Day I remember you, but everyday I have, I never forget to thank God for a father like you
You are my one and only
And no one nor anything can replace you

Everyday is Father's Day to me and to you!
Have a wonderful day every single day, for being who you are and for being who you are to us all!

WE LOVE YOU DADDY!