To A Godfather...

My godfather was a man who needed no introduction. Large, both physically and charismatically, he was full of witty and delightful sayings. One, which decorated his office back in the day, translated from Greek into 'When I met man, I started loving animals.' He was thoughtful, wise and a skillful businessman and from him I gathered the example of stoicism but also open-hearted generosity.

For his love of food I remember him distinctly. He loved fish and often cooked for us on a Sunday or national holiday. Stewed rabbit was also a special treat and he sometimes picked small mandarins from the tree in the front porch of his house and added them to his recipe.

He was a man who did nothing by halves. Open, outspoken, short-tempered at times but with wit and humour. He despised small-mindedness and gossips or people who were miserly with their time or money. He gave and needed nothing in return but love and understanding. In later years, he may have lost his vision and dynamic physicality, but he was still respected and cared for.

Family ties and relationships can sometimes be demanding and challenging and that is a universal truth, not just something tied to Cyprus. Cousins, aunts, uncles, godmothers and godfathers are cherished and loved despite their idiosyncrasies or a word spoken in anger or haste. In my family, even after heated discussions and arguments, we have always ended up in understanding and forgiveness, even in the silences in between.

Someone once said, ' Families are like stars, you don't always see them, but you know they are there.' After losing family members in the last few years, memory remains, those cherished moments you have spent with them, the lessons learnt and I believe their spirits remain, guiding and protecting even after they are long gone.