Father's Day...............

Anyone can father a child but it takes character and commitment to be a Dad. I remember my father and what he taught me in life through his words and actions. He was a young man when the war came. He was already in the territorial army and so was at the rank of sergeant when he entered the war. He married my mother before he went off for training. He was originally intended for the desert war but by the time they had reached India they were turned around and sent to Singapore. There they were captured and held prisoner for the remainder of the war. While his captivity with the Japanese damaged his body, and his health it did not do anything to his spirit. He never hated the Japanese, in fact he found a lot to admire about the country of his captivity. The beauty around him that could be seen from the inside of the camps, the orange groves on Mt Fugi. He worked in a factory for most of his time there. He seldom talked about the war, but over the years little bits came out. Anyway........he told me to judge a man by his actions and not his skin colour or nationality or religion. He became a born again Christian when he came here one year. He had a lot on his mind, things that happened during the war that he felt were not forgivable. He forgave himself when he learned that Christ forgave him. He is probably the one person that influenced me a great deal in my life and my one true supporter who gave me unconditional love. I know I will see him again and until then.................I love you Dad forever.