Momčilo “Momo” Dobrijević

To My Dad, Thank you. Thank you for being brave enough to move to a foreign country with only a few suitcases, my mother, and me. You arrived in a place where you didn't know the language, leaving behind everything that was familiar to you, and yet you found the courage to build a life for our family. Thank you for never letting the challenges in front of you stop you. You went back to school, earned your diploma, and graduated at the top of your class. Thank you for giving me a brother and a lifelong best friend. Thank you for teaching me all the things a little girl should learn from her dad. You taught me math in the backyard of our first house in Canada, the names of tools and how to use them, how to fix things around the house, or with the car, how to barbeque and make wine, and how to fish. I will always remember accompanying you to hardware stores. The staff would ask if you needed help, and somehow, you would end up teaching them something they did not know, whether they liked it or not. Your family and friends would say that if something was broken, you would find a way to fix it. If someone needed something, you would always help. You gave so much of yourself without ever expecting anything in return. Thank you for being such a hardworking and humble man. Thank you for rebuilding our home in Croatia, not for yourself, but for all of us and for the generations that will come after you. It is a place where our family can return to, where your grandchildren, whom you adored, could spend their summers and make memories of their own. We will always remember what you created on that land with your own two hands. And when we are there, we will always remember you. Thank you for being resilient. Even through your illness, you continued to teach me about strength. You and I faced the unknown together—asking questions, learning, and trying to understand each step along the way. Thank you for showing me what it means to persevere, even when it wasn't easy. You never complained. You carried everything you were going through with such grace. You never wanted anyone to feel sorry for you. You simply faced each day as it came, with patience, courage, and dignity. Thank you for passing slowly enough for me to adapt to your ever-changing stages of life. You waited for me to become comfortable with the different version of you I would meet every day. You waited for me to accept. You waited for me to grieve. Always waiting for me to catch up with you. And when I did, you knew it was time to move to the next chapter of your life. Thank you for walking through every step of this with me. Thank you for always understanding me, even when words weren't needed. Thank you for being beside me through every moment, always together. And most of all, thank you for showing me what it means to live a life of hard work, humility, generosity, and love. Now, we will spend our time together a little differently. We will sit together in the grass, feeling the breeze listening to the sounds of nature. We will watch the trees move, listen to the birds, and take in the quiet around us. No need to hurry. No need to fix anything. Just you and I, slowly taking in the moment— calm, quiet, and at peace. Thank you for teaching me to slow down and embrace the beauty of silence. Thank you, for being my Dad. Your daughter, Sladana May you always smell the scent of lavender and the sea