In the end, we’ll all become stories ...

 Hi all, 

2021 might be a New Year but it has carried with it the problem of the global pandemic & of Covid-19. It has been more than a year now since it was officially identified in China, more than a year since it was suspected in countries as it crept across the world & invaded our world. 

This year started with a sense of foreboding & the past two weeks has been a crazy time. My sister was admitted to hospital in South Africa with severe Covid-19,  followed soon by my aged Father who lived with them. 

Unfortunately due to his age, he quickly developed respiratory problems & then Covid Pneumonia which sadly took his life. 

No one could pay last respects & because our family are spread out over a large country & abroad, we decided on a private cremation ahead of laying him to rest with my late Mother & brother when travel is eventually allowed.  Many of you know their long love story, together for almost 57 years, childhood sweethearts, separated only by death. 

I had collected stones on my last visit home which I took with to our family graves with Dad & we stopped with Dad on the way back & he collected some stones & shells & gave them to me for safe keeping for ‘when the grave is opened again’ (for him).  These have been with me & today I placed them beside his candle. 

With the restrictions, Ms M kindly suggested we should all observe our own quiet time in our homes across the world for Dad. We lit candles at the same time as his cremation & remembered him in our own ways. 

This is some of ours ... 

The daughters sent me some of my late Mom’s favourite flowers, Proteas with angel candle holders, a tree of life image on the vase & I placed the stones collected too (not seen in the image)

My sister & family lit candles & played some of Dad’s favourite music too ... 

Daughter & her grandfather had collected shells together, along with some crystals & she added these to her candle tribute ... 

The cousins, Dad’s nephews who had seen him very recently to hand over my parcel from England to him,  lit a candle too ... 

My sister in law in England knew my parents too so Monica, who had suggested the joining of candles, set up a beautiful candle scene ... 

In the evening, I lit candles in my church candle holder to light the evening gently. 

I have been very grateful to those who have kept my broken heart in their prayers & thoughts, for those who paused their own busy lives to send kind thoughts, messages or just a ’thinking of you’ text.  Many knew of the close relationship I had with my Father & their understanding has helped me come to terms with it from a distance.  

I don’t think you can truly understand the loss of both parents until it is your experience too. 

For those mourning,  life seems to pause,  time suspended to make sense of the enormity of never hearing that familiar voice or seeing that beautiful script on a letter again. My Father was my biggest champion, he liked details, he listened to remember,  we spoke daily from across the world, he was a very proud great grandfather & loved news of the daughters &  their family from England. 

Likewise, I would not tolerate any slight or criticism of my Father who was one of the most decent, fair & even tempered people I know. He was tolerant & tried to stay out of arguments & disagreements, always trying to see the best in people. However, if someone criticised him, that would raise my ire ... 

He was passionate about his family tree, he wanted to know where his extensive family came from; he asked to do his DNA in 2018 & I took out a kit for him; we had to draw up a spreadsheet with all our results so his analytical mind could take it all in. He loved his family’s part in history - it grounded him. 

It is those & many other things I miss so much ... 

In time, when this dreadful virus allows, we will travel again to South Africa to unite Dad with my Mother. They were married for almost 57 years & it is right that they will united again for eternity - something they both wished for ... 

Thank you for your time to stop by & read;  each & every visit & comment is much appreciated. Be blessed in 2021. Carry love & kindness with you & spread it around; in these trying times it is needed, especially by those who give it freely.  Most of all, be safe all please 💖

Dee ~💕~