I'd like to start on a positive note, but that's just not going to happen.
2009 wasn’t a great year for a large number of people, myself included as most of my readers will know, for more reasons than I can shake a stick at, It's a year that as it went on, got worse, with glimmers of hope, promptly pissed all over by bad luck, friends came and disappeared in months, It's a year I was looking forward to the end of...
But I will treasure the memories, for it was the last year I spent with my father, Ray, who tragically died suddenly, at the end of the year where I was at my lowest, on the 30th of December 2009, We found him, he'd passed away of a severe heart attack caused by a blood clot that had gradually built over the week leading up to the day, he went to rest and now he is at rest, just some consolation that he went peacefully
Due to unforeseen events early last year I spent a large majority of it laughing, joking and talking with him, every evening after work, or after he’d picked me up from band practice, we’d sit for hours laughing at the most obscure things anyone could imagine, he was a comedian in disguise, and his eccentric sense of humor gradually rubbed off on me, which made for some of the happiest moments of 2009.
I think most will agree when I say he was always an optimist, he saw the best in people and the world alike, making it obvious by bearing a smile whenever we saw him, helping people out as he went, friends, family and tenants alike.
He was a devout music lover, his tastes spanning more genres than I care to imagine and he introduced me to the majority of the music I listen to today, and from that I took up various musical instruments, and sort of followed his eclectic taste, seeing the best of every genre.
we all knew him for the fantastic person he was, nothing more, nothing less, he was always around when we needed him, a man with a unique perception of life, one of positivity, and he will always be remembered by us all, I just hope I can do him proud and stay strong enough for my Mom & Sister...
There's no reason for me to keep going on about it, I'm at a point where I no longer know what to say to people who stop me in the street to pass on their condolences, though I'm dreading the aftermath of the funeral, it's just picking up the pieces and making a new lifestyle.
At the moment, things are at somewhat of a standstill for me, Work, is on hold until the 24th of January, I hope to be going back to band practice next week, I just owe everything to the amazing support from friends and family, we've all pulled together, and it's the main thing that's helped me stay as strong as I have been.
It's just hard to grasp that he's gone, I'm just glad I spent the time with him I did...
I'll tell you all, right now, smell the flowers while you can.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you
Sing
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours.
Floss
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…
Thank Baz Luhrmann for that, Dad loved the song Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen, It's a great song that makes you think
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI
Thanks For Reading
Luke
