Papa Shidali - A Father beyond blood

I have known Papa Shidali for over thirty years—and no, I am not that old; I am only in my early thirties. The truth is that Papa Shidali has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I knew him from the very moment I became old enough to recognize the people around me. We were not related by blood, but we were much more than neighbors. We were family. Growing up, we practically lived together in the same building for many years. Their home was like a second home to us—a place where we could walk in freely, stay, eat, laugh, and simply feel that we belonged. My mother trusted their home completely, and that says so much about the kind of family they were to us. I lost my father when I was only six years old, and during those tender years of growing up without him, Papa Shidali became one of the father figures God placed around us. One of my strongest memories of Papa Shidali is his prayers. I cannot count the number of times he laid his hands on our heads and prayed for us. He would remind us that God would take care of us, telling us, “God is the Father of the fatherless, and He will take care of you.” Those words may have sounded simple, but they meant so much to us. They gave comfort, reassurance, and hope to children who had lost their father far too early. Looking back today, I realize how powerful those prayers and words of encouragement were. Papa Shidali was always welcoming. He was warm, homely, receptive, and almost always smiling. In all the years I knew him, I cannot remember seeing him angry. He carried himself with such calmness and gentleness. Another quality that stood out so strongly about him was his humility. My mother often spoke about it. She would say that she could hardly remember Papa Shidali calling anyone simply by their name, no matter how much younger the person was. He would respectfully address people as “Brother” or “Sister.” Even as an elderly man, he treated people with dignity and respect. That kind of humility is rare. When I think about Papa Shidali, I think about a man who quietly demonstrated what Christianity should look like—not only in words, but in the way he treated people, welcomed people, encouraged people, and prayed for them. He will be greatly missed. We will miss his prayers. We will miss his words of encouragement. We will miss his smile, his calmness, his humility, and the reassuring presence he brought whenever we visited. But even in our sadness, we are comforted by the hope that he is now in a better place, with the Jesus he loved and served. And perhaps the greatest tribute we can give to Papa Shidali is to hold on to one of the things he prayed for so often—that we too will make Heaven. That is now our prayer: that we will live our lives faithfully, that we will see Jesus someday, and that when our own journey here is complete, we will be reunited with Papa Shidali and with all our loved ones who have gone on before us. Thank you, Papa Shidali, for being a father figure when we needed one. Thank you for opening your home to us. Thank you for every prayer. Thank you for every word of encouragement. Thank you for showing us humility, kindness, and genuine Christian love. You may not have been our father by blood, but you occupied a father’s place in our hearts. Your prayers and your kindness will remain with us for the rest of our lives. Rest peacefully, Papa Shidali, until we meet again.

“He taught me Love, Kindness, Humility and genuine care for others.”