Happy Birthday Irman Abdul Rahman

Brother,

In a broken family without an outstanding father figure, you reluctantly took the role as father and role model. Wanting to pave a better mentality, a better mindset and a better target for your brothers. In times of darkness you did not question your capacity but rather you spent the awkward years of your life trying to be as comfortable as possible in order to make us (your brothers) feel a little better and a little braver to face the future that lied ahead of us.

As a brother you questioned mediocrity always challenging your brothers to be better to be much more than you can ever be. And often times we questioned our capacity, because we knew it took more than just being another man in order to stand up as tall as you do, but rather to stand with you we needed to be extraordinary, like you. You questioned not only things you saw but rather life as well. You questioned it to the extent that you made others believe that there is always a better way of doing things. You questioned our actions but only to the extent of making us think for ourselves whether we could do it better the next time around. You laughed at our mistakes but you supported us even in making our mistakes. Your support knew no prejudice nor discrimination.

As a friend you debated and you discussed, you taught us that sometimes life throws a rock at you and you bleed, but you stand up again because that is what men do. You taught us how to be men, good kind men. You were always easy to ask how we were doing and never tire of giving us advice. You stood above all else and when we listen, we placed your words above everyone elses because we knew you were credible.

As a brother you knew when to say no. You knew to tell us that we were moving too fast or too slow. And sometimes you told us when to stop and when to keep moving.

You're humble, sometimes to the extent that others around you feel uncomfortable with how humble you are, at age 28 you got your phd. A very young age and yet you tell others a Phd is nothing more than just knowing a little more than you knew 3 years before, but those within the family knew the deserving act for a lost fathers acknowledgment. You carry yourself in a manner unknown to others in your field, with grace, virtue and elegance. You're Dr. but it does not bother you to sound like an idiot. That is truly a gesture of a great man.

Youre sentimental, a bad bowler but a gracious loser. You know youre smart but you tell your brothers they're smarter and even though we hint a dash of cynicism, we also hint a dash of truth. Because sometimes we truly believe you believe we are smarter.

there is nothing i can buy you to make up for the things youve done for me. You are an extraordinary father, monumental husband, gigantic brother, colossal academician and thinker, true friend, and a son of epic proportions. The only true gift i can ever give you is the acknowledgment. So much so is the tradition in our family, our fathers acknowledgment has always been overwhelming, then i say to you this, my acknowledgment is that you are a deserving human being, you have earned every right to be where you are today, you deserve it and more. Your story my brother.... will be legendary...

Happy Birthday
Irman Abdul Rahman
25th June 1979
(29 years old today)