Maka zai tench kortolom' - a phrase often uttered by my father, Luis Antonio, whose fiftieth death anniversary approaches on October 7, 2023. My dad lived life on his terms, as the Konkani phrase suggests. A self-made man, he passed away at forty-eight. I feel his life was like an incomplete journey, but I surrender to my belief that time is the ultimate ruler of our lives.

Yet, I sometimes question my own approach to life. How much of it is truly on my terms, and how sacred should I hold that notion? My life isn't entirely on my terms, and rightly so. Terms need not be unyielding; they can bend for a better outcome. I wish my father had considered this option and listened to my mother, who passed away just over a year before him, leaving us ten children orphaned - a reality we've faced for fifty years come October 7, 2023.

On this day, we plan to release a book detailing our experiences and journey thus far: 'The Armacars: Ten Siblings, One Story.'