Orphan Annie

Today's the anniversary of my Dad's death, a long time ago now, but when your parents are no longer alive and acting as a kind of buffer against the inevitable, you do realise you're "next up", and on days like today are very aware of your mortality. On this day last year I wrote quite a bit about Dad, and showed some of his favourite possessions. This year I made the decision not to be sad, but to post an image he would have liked to see.

I also found this poem which I found very helpful (substitute he for she) :-

You can shed tears that she is gone,
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her only that she is gone,
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what she'd want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

~ David Harkins