It is with a sad and heavy heart that I post this message for friends who had met my father, Siavash Saidi, either in person or through my posts on FB. My father passed away this New Year’s Day. Many of you know that he suffered a massive stroke three years ago which left him completely paralyzed on the left side of his body. He was unable to speak and eat. All the doctors predicted he would survive three or at the most six months given the severity of the stroke. My father, like his trademarked bull-headedness proved them wrong and stayed with us for almost three years. He worked hard and relentlessly with his therapists and his dedicated caregiver Scottie to gain mobility in his limbs but it wasn’t to be the case. Over time, his speech improved and continued to amaze us with his stories and his sharp as a tack memory. I can’t say enough about Scottie, the angel who came into our lives and stayed by my father’s side each and every day these last three years. I really don’t know what we would have done without Scottie. We are humbled by his utter selflessness in caring for my father and his unconditional love for him. May all be blessed by angels like Scottie. My father lived a rich and colorful life, which at times read like a John Le Carré novel. He had travelled the world…met with kings, princes, and prime ministers, people in the limelight and those in the shadows. He loved his country, Iran. He was a true Persian and couldn’t sit on the sidelines and watch his country usurped by fanatics when the Islamists hijacked the people’s revolution. He wasn’t an armchair pundit who criticized the government from afar. He remained in Iran during the Revolution and spoke loudly and passionately against the zealots and criticized the shortcomings of the previous regime. He helped hundreds of Iranian refugees fleeing the wrath of the Islamic Republic to find asylum and sanctuary elsewhere. He sacrificed a great deal to help others in greater need. It’s not until years later as I started working on a memoir that I began to truly appreciate his sacrifices, achievements and even his shortcomings. My father transitioned peacefully. He had been admitted to the hospital on the last day of 2014. It was supposed to be a routine procedure. We had just spoken on the phone only two hours before his passing. We had wished each other a Happy New Year. I had promised to visit him later that day. He seemed a little agitated on the phone, so I reminded him to practice the breathing exercises we did together and we chanted Om Mani Padhme Hum, the mantra Michael and I had taught him. Dad is now released of his wheelchair and body. I know my father is now in a peaceful place. He suffered so much the past few years since his stroke, but this past year was truly magical. He had blossomed into a funny, playful, giggly, cuddly prankster. Gone was his at-times prickly, intellectual, sarcastic, superior, know-it-all attitude. He no longer wanted to debate politics, business, and more politics. He now loved playing the surreal story-telling game Michael would lead us through when we were together. He loved Michael and was so happy that I had such a wonderful, kind and loving partner. He was so happy to see my brother Alan, his beautiful wife Yaixa and his two adorable grandchildren. He never ceased to tell me how much he loved me. We spoke daily at least 2 to 3 times. We made each other laugh. We told stories and wrote lots of little poems together. We read from Yoganandas books and spoke about death, the afterlife, and God. He was no longer resisting and arguing with me like he used to…he was surrendering to what is. He embraced the possibility. Im riding the ebb and flow of the grieving process right now. Im happy hes free, free from the wheelchair and his body, but sad that hes not here. Sad that I wont be getting his phone calls anymore and Ill never see him again to take our walks, tell jokes and laugh at our silly banter, read and write poetry together. Ive lost not just a father, but also a wise teacher and counselor, a great mind, a fiercely accurate historian, a challenging debater, an incredible and remarkable human being and my best friend. He taught me a lot. I shall miss him immensely. “The tale of life is nothing but two days: in one, you get your heart attached to this and that; in the other, you get to detach from this and that.” Siavash Saidi, 9/7/14.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 01:48:09 +0000
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