still Jenny from the blog

Last week the world lost a very special person. My life, and the lives of many others in our local community will be all the poorer without him. Today we mourned his passing, we celebrated his life, and we said our goodbyes.

I should point out that I was not especially close to this lovely, lovely man. I didn't know his four amazingly articulate and talented children, who spoke with boundless love about their Dad this morning. I didn't know his wife, whose stories of adventure in a Volkswagon made me laugh and cry all at the same time. I only knew the man himself - or at least I felt I knew him. He had a way of letting people in that allowed me to feel this way.

On one of his visits to our house he was admiring Hatchling No.1, who was only a few weeks old at the time. And its the conversation we had that day that will stay with me forever. He told me of his absolute love for his kids, and how they had enriched his life in a way he never knew was possible. He gave me some words of advice that day. I am ashamed to think that I haven't embraced his advice as much as I could have so far, but perhaps that will change.

He told me simply to do EVERYTHING with your kids - grab every opportunity with both hands. Take them out to dinner, go on holidays, have adventures - just be with them. He told me of the joy he had experienced in doing these things with his wife and kids over the years. He spoke from the heart and with so much love that day that it stopped me in my tracks. It took my breath away. If I close my eyes I can still see him standing on my driveway - so animated he was when he spoke.

We last caught up only about a month ago, and shared a few tales of more recent times. It never occurred to me that it might be the last time we spoke. If I'd known I would liked to have said so much more. And I guess I wish he'd said more too.

My sincerest sympathies go out to his family and friends. For me, on the fringe of his world I feel a great sense of loss - I can only imagine how it must feel for those who were the centre of his world.