My head has been all over the place because of my cancer diagnosis and treatment (some pandemic and other life challenges messing with me too). I make dubious choices day to day. This morning’s choice was digging through some old tapes and starting to digitise them. I started with a recording of my grandfather’s memorial service back in November of 2004. It was a significant moment for me because it was the first time I had to deal with the death of someone close to me. Pretty amazing for someone who was 38. I had led a pretty blessed life (and still do in objective terms). My Grampa and Grandma Alan and Marion were incredibly important people in my life and shaped me in very significant ways. My Grandma lived another few years after my Grampa’s death, but suffered a stroke and struggled a lot in those years after he died. I still miss them quite a bit. It also was the start of a whole series of deaths of people close to me (which shaped my children’s experience in ways I didn’t face as a child).
Sadly, death is with us always. It is the price of living and is a reminder to treasure the moments we have together. I am so glad to be starting to see many of you again in the flesh and hope to see many more over the coming months.
Long may thy worthiness thy name advance
from “A Funeral Elegy for Master William Peter” by Wm. Shakespeare
Amongst the virtuous and deserving most,
Who herein hast forever happy proved:
In life thou lived’st, in death thou died’st beloved
On the off chance some family members wish to listen to this particular moment in time again, I have posted it here.