The Lord decided to suddenly take away Michael Theseira, a close friend and relative a day before the eve of Chinese New Year.
It was very sad and a shock, like all news of sudden death. Michael’s passing was special and, to a great extent, even strange. It recalled to my mind, a song entitled ‘Abraham, Martin & John’. This is a very beautiful song dedicated to 3 great people – Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and John Kennedy. When I was young, it caught my attention and it must have remained in me except that I didn’t play it on my guitar or hum the tune anymore. At Michael’s passing, however, the song became alive again in me. It has these touching words:
Has anybody seen , my good friend …….
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He frees a lot of people
But it seems the good they die young
I just turn around, and he’s gone.
This song suddenly became even more special. It was telling me that Michael should also join the ranks of the greats of Abraham, Martin, and John. He was special too. He was young too like them. – only 58 years old!
Indeed his deeds will always be remembered as he touched so many people. I remember Michael for his unfailing compassion and duty to the bereaved by attending close or distant relatives’ funerals. To those who celebrated their joys on their birthdays and weddings, he would be there too. He was there to give comfort and company to those who were sick and if he couldn’t make it, his last option was at least a phone call.
In his immediate family, he was the unifying person who brought all members together. He would travel from KL to Melaka to see his aged dad every 2 weeks without fail. No wonder the unity and love he brought about was admired and envied by many including me.
He is someone I can talk about, quote or use as examples to people who want greater fulfillment in their lives. For coaches, Michael is a good role model too.
One Response
Thank you so much for those beautiful words. We all miss Baba Michael (as I address him) dearly and find it almost impossible to accept that he is no longer here with us.
Once again thank you for writing this article. May God Bless you always.