“When I had a fever, my father-in-law fasted so I would get better.”
“When I was leaving for America my father told me I was brave and should not cry.”
“My father never bought himself a single thing–he sacrificed his life for us.”
Our stories make us who we are, our stories tell of where we come from, our stories shape our past and our future. For Father’s Day, India Home’s elders stood up one by one and shared memories of their fathers and father figures and it was a beautiful thing to hear them. They told stories of men whose sacrifice, caring and determination made a better life for children. Familiar perhaps to some, but made new and precious in the passion and wonder of the telling. In sharing their stories so openly, our elders enrich our lives. And after the stories, came the feast donated by Bharat Patel in memory of his wife, Vikuntala Patel, and gifts, donated by Usha and Bharat Shah.
Photos: Preston Merchant