I can't write about 'a friend' when you clearly had way too many friends for me to write about just one!
Some of your secondary school teachers once told me that your year level was so "together" that duty teachers had to ask you all to split up into smaller groups in order that your 'group' was not so intimidating. Apparently, there was often 30 or 40 of you 'hanging out' together! It was just the sheer size of the group that proved too daunting to a lone teacher on the beat!
This volume of friendship was particularly evident at your funeral. The church holds about 500 people and it was filled to capacity that day!! What a fitting tribute!
Two days after you died about 20 of your friends turned up on our doorstep. They came in silently, some shedding tears, all supporting us and each other. They sat on our lounge room floor for hours and cried and told stories of the things you got up to with all of them. They were still there when the funeral director came to organise your funeral and, without hesitation, your mates volunteered to carry your coffin, to deliver several of the eulogies and to provide the music.
They are good friends, Jake! They have been truly supportive of us and each other this past year. I know that they have been hurting without their mate! But, they have included us in their storytelling sessions (probably condensed versions) and have visited us occasionally. Some of them have invited us to their 21st birthdays...a lovely way for us to 'feel' a bit of you, as you would have been right there amongst them!!
They have continued to keep Amber in their lives and she is truly one of their 'friends'. Just the way you would have wanted! xxx
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Friday, 29 June 2012
"SOFT"
You had such a 'soft' heart. For all your bravado and 'coolness' you never, ever liked to see those close to you feeling hurt or upset.
When we got the news that my Nan had passed away, you and I were in the middle of a disagreement about various teenage 'things'. But, as soon as we got that phone call, you had your arms around me, you told your girlfriend she was going home and you told me you were coming with me, to be with my family.
On the day of Nan's funeral I was fine until the burial at the cemetery. Your brothers, Toby and Nick, had been buried in with my grandfather, and now my Nan was being buried in the same plot. I lost the plot!! You had the flu that day but it was you who comforted me and made sure I was alright.
You once showed your 'soft' side when you wrote a letter to your sister while she was going through some tough times. You told her that you loved her and hoped that she was ok.
I know of several friends who often used you as a sounding board. You were easy to talk to and had a great big, 'soft' heart.
When we got the news that my Nan had passed away, you and I were in the middle of a disagreement about various teenage 'things'. But, as soon as we got that phone call, you had your arms around me, you told your girlfriend she was going home and you told me you were coming with me, to be with my family.
On the day of Nan's funeral I was fine until the burial at the cemetery. Your brothers, Toby and Nick, had been buried in with my grandfather, and now my Nan was being buried in the same plot. I lost the plot!! You had the flu that day but it was you who comforted me and made sure I was alright.
You once showed your 'soft' side when you wrote a letter to your sister while she was going through some tough times. You told her that you loved her and hoped that she was ok.
I know of several friends who often used you as a sounding board. You were easy to talk to and had a great big, 'soft' heart.
Thursday, 28 June 2012
"ON THE SHELF"
'On the shelf' in the spare room (I wish we didn't have a spare room!) are a few things that once belonged to you.
A photo in a frame shows you at the age of ten, standing very proudly beside Matthew Richardson from the Richmond AFL team. He was never your favourite player but he was a big name in the team so you were quite pleased to actually meet him.
Some of the beanie kids you used to collect as a little tacker are on the bedside table. You didn't want to appear prissy so you only collected a few lions and tigers and dogs.
On the shelf in the wardrobe are the shoes you were wearing on the day you died. They were the first thing I saw when I walked through the front door that day. You had kicked them off in your usual fashion beside the door. I couldn't bear to throw them out!
A photo in a frame shows you at the age of ten, standing very proudly beside Matthew Richardson from the Richmond AFL team. He was never your favourite player but he was a big name in the team so you were quite pleased to actually meet him.
Some of the beanie kids you used to collect as a little tacker are on the bedside table. You didn't want to appear prissy so you only collected a few lions and tigers and dogs.
On the shelf in the wardrobe are the shoes you were wearing on the day you died. They were the first thing I saw when I walked through the front door that day. You had kicked them off in your usual fashion beside the door. I couldn't bear to throw them out!
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
"BATHROOM"
The bathroom went from being taboo in your 'boy' world to being arguably your favourite room.
You would spend ages in the bathroom making sure your hair was 'just right'. You would spend ages in the shower before dumping your towels on the floor along with your discarded underwear and your dirty socks.
You would shut yourself in the bathroom to trim those raggedy bits of hair that wouldn't go the way you wanted them. And then, much to Sian's disgust, you would leave the cut hair all over the basin and the floor.
However, a few years before you died, I decided that I had worked long and hard enough to warrant having a cleaner once a fortnight. Her main job was to thoroughly clean both bathrooms, in particular the showers which my arthritis found hard to cope with. After only a few months of this you questioned why I would pay a cleaner when I could be paying you to do the same thing. I scoffed at the idea and dared to suggest to you that the state you left the bathroom in was not a good job reference.
But, in your usual style, you managed to persuade me to give you a go.
And....you were fantastic!!!
I miss my bathroom cleaner! xxx
You would spend ages in the bathroom making sure your hair was 'just right'. You would spend ages in the shower before dumping your towels on the floor along with your discarded underwear and your dirty socks.
You would shut yourself in the bathroom to trim those raggedy bits of hair that wouldn't go the way you wanted them. And then, much to Sian's disgust, you would leave the cut hair all over the basin and the floor.
However, a few years before you died, I decided that I had worked long and hard enough to warrant having a cleaner once a fortnight. Her main job was to thoroughly clean both bathrooms, in particular the showers which my arthritis found hard to cope with. After only a few months of this you questioned why I would pay a cleaner when I could be paying you to do the same thing. I scoffed at the idea and dared to suggest to you that the state you left the bathroom in was not a good job reference.
But, in your usual style, you managed to persuade me to give you a go.
And....you were fantastic!!!
I miss my bathroom cleaner! xxx
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
"WHERE YOU SHOP"
Well, nowhere if you can possibly help it!!!
Shopping just wasn't your thing!!
I remember, when you were about 8 or 9 years old, my Nan (your "Grandnan") asked if I would take her Christmas shopping at Fountain Gate. I can't for the life of me think why because she also hated shopping and she would have been about 88 years old at the time!! I also can't think why your Nan and I agreed to take, not just Grandnan, but you and Clare as well!! You wanted to do your Christmas shopping too! How silly were we?
We laugh about it now but, at the time, it was a nightmare!!!
Both Nan and I knew not to plan any shopping for ourselves as our hands would be full with the three of you. But, when we got there you, Grandnan and Clare decided to nick into the $2 shop. So, I nicked into Target and Nan had to go downstairs to pick up something from K-Mart.
The three of you were finished in 5 seconds flat! All of your shopping was completed in the $2 shop! And as far as you were all concerned it was then time to go home. I had finished in Target but Nan was not back yet so I bought the three of you an ice-cream and found a table for you to sit at!!
Grandnan then spent the rest of the time trying to persuade me to put an announcement over the PA system so that Nan could be paged. How embarrassing would that be??? Of course I didn't do it but I did vow that I would never take you, Clare or Nan to Fountain Gate again!!
Fancy going all that way for 5 minutes of shopping in a $2 shop!!
Last of the big spenders!!! xxx
Shopping just wasn't your thing!!
I remember, when you were about 8 or 9 years old, my Nan (your "Grandnan") asked if I would take her Christmas shopping at Fountain Gate. I can't for the life of me think why because she also hated shopping and she would have been about 88 years old at the time!! I also can't think why your Nan and I agreed to take, not just Grandnan, but you and Clare as well!! You wanted to do your Christmas shopping too! How silly were we?
We laugh about it now but, at the time, it was a nightmare!!!
Both Nan and I knew not to plan any shopping for ourselves as our hands would be full with the three of you. But, when we got there you, Grandnan and Clare decided to nick into the $2 shop. So, I nicked into Target and Nan had to go downstairs to pick up something from K-Mart.
The three of you were finished in 5 seconds flat! All of your shopping was completed in the $2 shop! And as far as you were all concerned it was then time to go home. I had finished in Target but Nan was not back yet so I bought the three of you an ice-cream and found a table for you to sit at!!
Grandnan then spent the rest of the time trying to persuade me to put an announcement over the PA system so that Nan could be paged. How embarrassing would that be??? Of course I didn't do it but I did vow that I would never take you, Clare or Nan to Fountain Gate again!!
Fancy going all that way for 5 minutes of shopping in a $2 shop!!
Last of the big spenders!!! xxx
Monday, 25 June 2012
"SOMETHING CUTE"
Easy one!!! You were very cute from the minute you took your first breath until the minute you took your last!! Just ask all the girls!!
But, everyone knows how cute you were in your latter years so I decided to put up some reminders of how cute you were as a 'littley'!
You often made everyone laugh with your infectious giggles and cute smiles!
Your 'cuteness' changed from a pudgy, smiley, little baby to a tall, angular, but still very 'cute' and smiley teenager!
You were even cute when you were being toilet-trained. Here you had Mary and Sian dancing with joy because you had successfully used the potty.
How could a smile like this be anything BUT cute!!!
You had started kinder here and your popularity just grew and grew... you were just SO cute!!! Irresistible!!
But, everyone knows how cute you were in your latter years so I decided to put up some reminders of how cute you were as a 'littley'!
Sunday, 24 June 2012
"ON YOUR MIND"
You probably always had a lot of things on your mind as you were highly intelligent and always talking about your dreams for the future.
You wanted to complete your apprenticeship at The Gazette and work there for a few years. After that you wanted to travel and were particularly taken with the idea of going to Belgium to try to locate the Chateau de Berlo which was named and occupied by your ancestors in ancient times. I hope that your sister or one of your many cousins gets to fulfil that dream for you one day.
Your travel dreams included the USA and, in particular, Disneyland and New York. Some of your friends are doing just that this year and next year...perhaps they can share a few photos of what might have been.
Your dreams for the future included running your own online business and investing in property and the share market.
You spoke of one day getting married and having a family. You even named Rhys and Jaydan as your groomsmen.
You had a lot of things on your mind... bands to see, music to play, campsites to visit, fish to catch, places to drive to. The list goes on....
But, we can only dream of what might have been!
You wanted to complete your apprenticeship at The Gazette and work there for a few years. After that you wanted to travel and were particularly taken with the idea of going to Belgium to try to locate the Chateau de Berlo which was named and occupied by your ancestors in ancient times. I hope that your sister or one of your many cousins gets to fulfil that dream for you one day.
Your travel dreams included the USA and, in particular, Disneyland and New York. Some of your friends are doing just that this year and next year...perhaps they can share a few photos of what might have been.
Your dreams for the future included running your own online business and investing in property and the share market.
You spoke of one day getting married and having a family. You even named Rhys and Jaydan as your groomsmen.
You had a lot of things on your mind... bands to see, music to play, campsites to visit, fish to catch, places to drive to. The list goes on....
But, we can only dream of what might have been!
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