Five Year Flashback: Part One

As I missed my five year blog anniversary I have decided to pick out some flashback from the past five years.
Here's one from November 2009.




Remember the project I was working on a few weeks back?
I was tasked to lead three workshops to inspire a group of homeless youngesters to write about what life was like for them.
Last night the event was launched in the wind and rain.
Skelmersdale Library was turned inside out as the stories were beamed across the outside of the building.
It caused quite a stir and lots of comments from passers-by - which is exactly what the project was all about.
I loved it when a group of teenagers skated over when they saw "The Skate Park" and stood and read all about it!
It also gave me the shance to wear my other red jacket.
But before I went to Skelmersdale I led a PR Workshop in Skelmersdale advising a group of small
 business owners on how to do their own PR.

Dad

 

Since 2010, October 17th has been a day I have dreaded.

A day I want to pass as quickly as possible.

The day my dad died.

But today on this October 17th I woke to a feeling of immense gratitude. I felt grateful to have had such a wonderful father for more than 40 years. When I closed my eyes I no longer saw the face of a frightened dying man. It had gone. Instead I saw the beaming smile of a man who loved life, his family and especially his wife.

 

 

Memory after memory came flooding back and through them all the lessons he had taught me - to see the world through a child's eye; that the simplest things bring the greatest joy and how to score a cricket match and many, many more.

I am grateful that my children got to spend many hours in his company and they have many wonderful memories too.

I am grateful that he got to meet all of his grandchildren.

So today on this October 17th I will no longer mourn his death but instead celebrate the man who knew how to live.