It feels odd to be writing about my father’s passing, as it was only two years ago that we said our goodbyes to our mother, and yet, here I am writing another farewell.
It was in early August during one of our daily phone calls… that took place at 5pm daily and without fail since my mother passed away. It was only a short call, what have you been doing today, how’s the weather and mostly what have you got for tea…and of course he would ask me how my day had been too.
But on this call, he divulged that he was feeling a bit under the weather, this was most unlike him, stiff upper lip, never really telling you where he was at, and I suggested that he take a paracetamol. Sounds a bit pathetic as the by the weekend he had collapsed and the following Monday was admitted into hospital with sepsis, and under 24 hours of being in hospital we watched him slip away surrounded by his loved ones.
We were stunned and shocked by his sudden departure; however, he had always wanted to walk down his local high street and die outside the local Weatherspoon’s pub and be propped up in the corner with us attending his wake.
Dad cannot believe that you have gone, and you will never open your front door to greet me again.
I am so thankful that you didn’t suffer or be in hospital for endless days which you would have hated. It was hard enough seeing you with the oxygen mask on that was helping your breath, and I am so very grateful that I got to tell you……. thanks for an amazing childhood, introducing me to music and the word that I never said enough to you I love you.
Life passes you buy so fast, and you think your loved ones will be here forever….it reminds me of when I had to put coins into the payphone to call someone and the minutes would go so fast; that frantic search for another coin to continue the conversation before those dreaded pips cut you off.
Don’t let today go past without ensuring that you tell those that you love how special they are.
As the clock comes around to 5 pm…. I think to myself that I must phone Dad. Then the stark realisation sets in he’s gone but never forgotten.
Mikehabbott.com