A Photo A Day

By: 1year365photos

Dec 30 2011

Category: Uncategorized

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Thursday 29th December.  I wake to a text message from my sister.  ”Grandad passed away. =(“

I knew it was the middle of the night back in New Zealand when I read this, and we had to get up and ready to go to the mountains!  No time to really think about it.  I texted my brother downstairs, he said he’d received the same text from our sister, and then no more was mentioned.  I called Mum during the afternoon for a quick chat.  It was very matter of fact, and she said she didn’t have any information on funeral times or dates, but that I wasn’t expected to return home for the funeral next week.  Apparently Grandad wouldn’t have wanted that.  It’s only a few weeks until we’re back for a family holiday at the beach, so it’s then that everyone will be together.

Roll on today – Friday 30th.  I can’t stop thinking about him.  What he meant to me.  Memories.  How Gran must be doing.  Whether it really is the best thing to stay here a few more weeks.  I called Mum again to ask if there was some way we could be there – Skype, phone calls, filming the ceremony.

Flowers were sent to Gran, yet they seem so… pathetic.  Your best friend and husband of over 60 years is gone, and you get flowers?  Yet, somehow it seems like the right thing to do.

This is the first time someone this close to me has passed away.  To be honest, I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.  It may not, until I go to their house and it’s just Gran there.  The smell of Pinetarsol isn’t in the bathroom.  The little shaving brush isn’t on the sink where it always is.

I know we’ll get through this.  He was old, and his body just shut down.  We had many many many great years with him, and were lucky to have had him as long as we did.  If anything good has come out of this, it’s that we know our family network is solid.  We have family support that many other people wish they had.

So long, Grandad.  I will think of you fondly and often.