At 3:35 AM on September 16th, my father entered eternal peace. In his final moments, he was surrounded by his family and endless love, and now his love surrounds us in every memory. A lifelong fighter, my Baba held on with unfathomable courage and only let go after finally hearing my mother’s laugh, after days and days of tears. There’s so much I’d like to say about my father that I don’t know where to begin. Do I start with his lifelong sacrifices for our family, for his children to live a better life? How he immigrated to this country with absolutely nothing, drove taxi and worked 3 odd jobs all in the pursuit of the American Dream? How he dedicated his life to his wife, 6 children and 8 grandchildren? How he prayed every single day for 6 years for me to be able to conceive my daughters? Or how he lit up every room he entered, making each space feel the weight of his absence when he left? No words seem to feel adequate enough to describe my Abbu. His soul was even more remarkable than his sacrifices. He was a lover, a dreamer, a giver and a hopeless romantic. His generosity knew no bounds, even when he didn’t have much to give. He loved any excuse to gather and host, a trait he passed down to me and I will honor until the end of time. He navigated his life heart-first, always. And taught us all to do the same. My father only ever asked for one thing: that we all stick together, and if we do we will all meet again in Heaven. I am grateful to God that we honored his wish until his last breath, and will hereafter. As we grieve this immeasurable loss, I ask that you keep his soul and our family in your prayers. Thank you for being a part of our family’s story. We are forever grateful for every prayer and well wish. With love and gratitude xx