Honoring Father Figures : My Grandpa

As much as I adore my father, today I want to take the opportunity to honor my beloved grandfather. My grandfather left this world almost exactly a year ago, on May 4th, 2024. He was 91 years old.

 

Early Life

My grandfather was born Abdelhamid Ferdjioui on November 6th of 1932 in the city of Constantine, Algeria. The son of a small business owner, my grandfather was raised by his father and the rest of his paternal family in the family home. After graduating from high school, he got involved with the FLN, an anti-colonial group and political party that aimed to get rid of the French occupation in Algeria. Fearing for his safety, he left the country to study in Switzerland at the University of Lausanne, where he obtained a law degree and a degree in political science. During his time, he continued to support and work with anti-colonial groups/organizations. Despite not being able to go home because of the war, he never stopped fighting for the liberation of his country and all colonized countries.

 

 

It was only in 1962, after the end of the Algerian War of Independence, that he was finally able to safely go back home, where he started working as a jurist and also became the vice-president of the Algerian Football Federation. A few years later, in 1965, he met my grandmother, Ouarda. They married a few months later and had three children in the following years. One in 1966, the second (my dad) in 1969 and the last one in 1972. They bought a beautiful family home in which they raised their children with love and affection, and later on, their grandkids (the first one being me, Selma). After decades of working for the government, my grandfather finally retired in the 1990s. He then spent the remainder of his life gardening, cooking, traveling, raising his grandkids and enjoying life to the fullest.

 

Life as a grandfather

He and my grandmother played a very active role in my life, especially during my childhood. My grandfather, in particular, was the one who introduced me to all the things I love, such as art, history, flowers, movies, swimming, and more. I spent countless days with him, playing, exploring, and learning.

In 2007, my parents, brother, and I moved to Canada, a change that deeply saddened me, mostly because I didn’t want to leave my grandparents behind. Fortunately, they visited us often, and those visits helped us stay closely connected despite the distance.

As the years passed, he naturally grew older. Eventually, he was no longer able to travel to Canada, so we began visiting Algeria at least once a year. In those final years, he could barely walk, and at times, he would become confused or forgetful. But none of that mattered to me; he was still my grandfather, and we continued to spend as much time together as we could.

 

Grievance

Losing him last year felt like losing a part of myself and a part of my childhood. For the first few days, I was in such deep shock that I couldn’t even cry. Still, I felt an overwhelming emptiness in my heart, a space I knew could never be filled again, because it belonged solely to my grandfather.

During his 91 years of life, my grandpa survived two wars, one pandemic, traveled the world, met with world leaders, fought against colonialism and oppression, raised three kids and four grandkids, earned three university degrees, became a self-taught artist and self-taught gardener. However, most importantly, he was a good father, a good friend, a good grandfather, a good neighbor and a good human being. That’s what we will remember him for.

 

 

He might be gone, but his legacy and his memory will live on. I am honored to have had such a man as my grandfather.

“Grandpa, I miss you and send you a big kiss. I know we’ll see each other again one day, in another world. See you soon!”