The memory of my fathers battle with cancer still haunts me to this day. It pained me to see the cancer slowly alter his physique, the once healthy and active man in his prime slowly being whittled down, immobilized by pain. Ever the optimist and fighter, even when being diagnosed six months ago, dad never broke down and serenely told us that we would all pull through this crisis together. Thinking back it may just have been his way of preparing us for what was to come.

After grueling months of therapy both oral and radiation my dad was as weak as a baby, then cruel fate descended again and dealt another blow. All the treatments and all the pain were for naught as the news broke that the ravaging cancer had continued its devastating attack to his liver. My mom bless her soul, was too overcome by this news and broke down her body convulsed with sorrow, we all were blank with sadness, all but one person Dad as usual was steadfast, more worried about us than himself. Like a knight facing a dragon to rescue a damsel in distress without a though for his own well being.

As we began to come to grips with the reality of fathers situation, we gradually settled into making his ward our home. One day the monotony of hospital television was broken by a hoarse whisper Son.. my dads lips ached as he spoke and motioned me to move closer. Help your old man look for the photo mugs you gave me... do you remember it? Go home and bring it here. My mind went blank for a second then a myriad of memories came flashing back. How could I have forgotten about the mug, the white china mug carrying our portrait on it with the simple words thanks dad that carried a far deeper meaning than those two simple words.

The photo was taken during my graduation ceremony. The convocation was the culmination of so many things to both me and my dad, the end of my studying days, my rite of passage to the working world, his acceptance of me as a man and his joy at successfully raising a graduate. The joy we felt together as a family was unbounded and I could feel dads pride at watching his son graduate. To commemorate the occasion at the urging of my mother, dad and I had our photo taken together. This may seem normal to most people, but dad was never one for photos preferring to take the pictures rather than be in them. Thus it was one of those rare photos that we shared together on what would be the happiest day of my life. A few days later as the euphoria of the convocation was just starting to die down, I decided to immortalize our moment together on a personalized photo mug at a stall I spied at the mall which also did a lot of custom military coffee mugs and so on. There we were pictured grinning widely on the front of a coffee mug, what would dad make of this I thought.

When I went home and saw dad there watching television, I was feeling nervous because this was the first time I ever gave him anything. So I just walked to him and said, Here dad, this is for you. He was obviously surprised since this was the first time I ever gave him a gift so he just blurted out a thank you. Afterwards late at night, when I saw him sitting at the dining table holding and looking at the mug that I just gave him earlier, I could see him flashing a smile that I have never seen before and right then, I knew I had made the right choice by giving him that personalized photo mug.

As I passed him the family reunion coffee mug gift for the second time; I was touched by the reversal of situations. When I first handed him the mug it was all sunshine and laughter of our own home and here we were again this time in the gloomy sanitized hospital ward with the smell of disinfectant permeating our pores instead of the smell of mother cooking a hot meal. My dad looked up and said simply Son. You were gods greatest gift to me and I can say that Im mighty proud that you will carry on my name. Nothing compares to the moment when a father realizes that his job is done and he has completed his role. That moment is here on this mug you gave me. He smiled and I nodded and smiled back as warm tears welled up and washed down my cheeks. My dad was saying farewell and that everything would be fine even when he was gone. My heart ached as I felt like screaming No dad! Dont even think of going on we still need you here I wouldnt know what to do without you. Instead I just smiled and wept.

A fortnight later my dear father finally breathed his last breath. He had fought a good fight and had dealt with all his earthly problem, no regrets. I brought our special mug to the funeral then I stored it back where dad had always kept it. My mind was at ease, he was in a better place free from all pain and suffering and Im sure he was smiling down on me proudly from somewhere.