From:
Tejvir Basra
My grandfather was a once in a lifetime type of a man. I firmly believe that everything we are as a family today can be attributed to my Grandfather. He instilled in our family the virtues that we live by: our work ethic, kindness, awareness, desire to learn, entrepreneurial spirit and humility. My grandfather taught me the importance of working hard. I remember growing up as a kid, in middle school going to work with him at some of our jobsites during the summer time. He taught me the true meaning of a hard day’s work. He showed me that you can’t take shortcuts in life, everything has to be done the right way no matter how long or hard it is. His work ethic was instrumental in providing our family with the life that we have today. I plan to carry his work ethic with me for the rest of my life to continue the vision he had for our family. My grandfather taught me to be aware. He showed me that there were many things that were bigger than me. Whether it was what was going on the other side of the world or to be conscious and aware of how others are feeling. He had a remarkable ability to know when to crack a joke, when to show you some tough love, when to tell you he was proud of you, he just always knew what to say at the right time. He was the most positive and kind person that I knew and he used this to make others smile when they needed it most. My grandfather taught me to value education. He had a thirst for knowledge that is rare to find. I don’t think there was a day in his life where he did not learn something new or pass on his knowledge to others. This intellectual curiosity is something that he passed down to me and I believe it has been a driving force behind my education. My grandfather taught me how to be and think like an entrepreneur.
He was very successful in many agricultural endeavors; he was a leader in his field and was never afraid to explore new ideas. He took many first time initiatives that not only bettered his business but his field to help others. This entrepreneurial spirit gave all of us confidence to pursue our respective passions.This is something I will be forever grateful for. My grandfather taught me how to be a humble man. He had countless accomplishments and successes, but I can definitively say that not once did I ever hear about them from him. I am incredibly proud to say that many people have shared not only his many accomplishments with me but also told me how he helped them achieve their goals. My grandfather also taught me the importance of being a leader. In my 22 years he has always been someone I looked up to and saw as the leader of our family. He embodied everything our family stands for. Everything my family is today is because of him. My grandfather is not gone, he is here with us right now, our family is a representation of him. His sons and his grandchildren are reflections of him. Hanna said this to me earlier and I firmly believe it, she said that she sees pieces of my grandfather in everyone in our family. He molded me into the man I am today and I know the same can be said for the rest of his grandchildren. I promise to honor his memory in everything I do for the rest of my life. It is an insurmountable task to fill my grandfather’s shoes, but I do assure you that if anything positive comes from this tragic loss it will be that it brings our family even closer together then it already is and we will all work together to fill his shoes. Papagi I love you, I miss you but you will never be gone, and will be in my heart always.
-Tejvir