Sai Baba, the renowned spiritual leader of India once said, “Life is a song- Sing it. Life is a game – Play it. Life is a dream – realise it. Life is a sacrifice- offer it. Life is love- enjoy it.”
Indeed when we think of the time that many of us spent with our Simple Simon, it appears that he had taken a cue from these very words of Sai Baba. Sadness or despair was never a part of Simon’s personality. In all that he thought, said and did, he was a very positive personality. Wherever he went and whomsoever he met he was an epitome of friendship, cheer and goodwill. He was a politician above politics. His motto was service. Right from the stage of a Municipal councillor to the position of the Deputy Speaker of the Goa Assembly, he was fair and clean in his dealings. He played the game well with malice towards none. His dream was to get people together. A strongly religious man, he kept the Commandments of the Lord and was well devoted to his family, friends and his religious practices without infringing upon the sentiments of his people. His involvement in the many organizations that he cherished and got people to unite in friendship and fellowship, such as the YMCA, Jaycees, Senior Citizens, Parish councils, Catenians, besides his personal contribution to the social fabric of Goa will always remain as a footprint on the sands of time in the heart of many a Goan.
Humble to the core and approachable at any time or place, his humility was the hallmark of his great personality. While there might have been limitations, his soft nature and a very receptive attitude was in itself a great consolation to anyone who approached him with a problem or for advice. Always youthful, many of us who dealt with him were often astounded to know his age and the agility that he projected at all times till the end. He expounded Goodwill and Love in all his interaction with people thus not only making the other person feel good but enjoyed it himself. That was probably the secret of his healthy, contented and happy life.
An Irish proverb says “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.” Yes for many of us who dealt with him socially we are hurt at the thought of losing him but on the other hand are thankful to the Almighty for having given him to us for the last many years and for the beautiful memories that he has left us with – memories that will last till we meet him again. It is a fact of life that “Birth is an accident but death is a certainty” and we have to accept it. But life does not end with death. While his thoughts, words and deeds may be interred with the bones, the memories will be carried by the members of his family, his friends, his associates and his acquaintances and the thousands that he reached out to in his private and public capacities. I can never forget the fact that whenever my articles appeared in the Herald, he was one of the first to call me and express his appreciation. Sadly this time he is not there. As the songwriter Irving Berlin wrote, “The Song is ended but the melody lingers on…”
