We were prepared...we knew it was close but when the process began to happen, we realised that you can never be prepared for the loss of a loved one, the one that headed our family of forty six, no matter the circumstances. On that Thursday I got the call from the hospice bringing the news that they thought we should gather the family, that my dad's health was rapidly declining...we had no idea at that moment how much time we had left with him, deep down I was hoping that it was just a bad call on the hospice's behalf, that he still had more time with us. But they had experience on their side, as it turned out he had less than two days with us. That was five months ago.
Each one of us have different ways to cope with death, some keep it close to their hearts others will deal with it openly. Life on the surface has returned to business as usual but for me a tiny little part of my heart has been closed, not to be opened again. Though the universe is a wondrous thing, many things have happened since that makes me question a lot of things. Even as I write this blog a programme called "Being Mortal" is playing on tv, a documentary delving into when doctors should broach the subject of mortality with a patient...totally has nothing to do with this blog, my dad or me but it was a subject that had crossed my mind many times since my father's emphysema continued to worsen. It's these little things, I guess it's my way of dealing with his death, in that I will connect anything that comes my way to him so that I can keep a little bit of him alive in my heart.
This coming week will be a nostalgic one...On this long weekend Monday our family will be marking our 41st anniversary of our arrival in Australia, we will be spending our 42nd Queen's birthday here and Wednesday 10th June would've been my dad's 95th birthday.
Taken only twenty four hours apart but life couldn't have been more different when I took the second one.
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