Sometime ago, a friend asked me why I call my father "Babu." In swahili "babu" means "wise" or "respected elder"... Grandfather essentially. Swahili is the official language of Tanzania. In December of 2007, my father and I traveled to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. My father was one of the oldest clients to climb Kilimanjaro with the company that we outfitted with. During the trip, the porters and guides - some with Masai roots - called my father Babu. They told us that it meant respected grandfather. The nickname just sort of stuck. (They were all really impressed with my father's physical fitness and stamina, considering his age, and they would tell him that constantly.) I like to call him Babu because it reminds me of our trip and something special that we shared.
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| Taking a break while climbing Kili |
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| Me, Baso, and Babu, Uhuru Peak, the top of Kili - Dec. 25, 2007 |
For almost a year now, I have shared my home with Babu. (He moved in last November to help me with Tahoe and Ashley when Brian went off to Guam.) As I type this post, he is on the road moving on to bigger and better things (and a much warmer climate) in Tucson, Arizona. His plan all along was to eventually relocate to Tucson for a while and today, Brian and I helped "send" him off.
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| Babu... Tucson bound! |
I am grateful for the time that I have had this past year to get to know my dad again. I will miss his sense of adventure, love of the outdoors and exercise, and his supportive ear and shoulder. I will miss my dog-walking partner, gym buddy, and biking guru... amongst many other things, I will also miss buying him pastries from the supermarket! (I don't think he knows how happy it made me to buy him a pie or a cherry turnover.)
I wish him all the best as he moves on to his next big adventure in Tucson. We will miss you Babu!
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| Babu with his two favorite pooches, Tahoe & Ashley |
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