Losing Someone You Love

This is a very different post than what I am used to writing, but talking (typing) about this helps me. I am one of those people that bottles up emotion but I have come to realise that it isn't good to do that. 

Recently my father passed away; he had been fighting bowel cancer since December 2011. The cancer was really aggressive, and my dad fought as much as he could, but through the 16months he was in and out of hospital a lot.

My dads wish was to be at home, and even though it was really hard for myself and my mother, we had to be strong for him.

We had amazing support from the Macmillan nurses, and the Marie Curie nurse. I set up a Just Giving page in memory of my dad. I did this because my dad always said he did not want flowers to be given at his funeral, as he thought they were a waste of money. As they look pretty for a while but then they wilt and die. The money we raised went to Macmillan Cancer Support. At the time of writing this we have raised £260. Offline we raised £160 and that money will be going to Meadow House Hospice.

I know the cancer effects SO MANY people, either you know someone who has it, or you're the one with cancer, or you know someone through someone else who has it, or you know someone who beat it.

Hopefully one day there will be a cure for it.

The funeral which was yesterday was a really sad time, but also a time for remembering him, and for me this came from his song choices. My dad always joked about, and he thought the songs he chose would lighten the mood. On entering the chapel "Always look on the bright side of life" by Monty Python was played here. And the second song choice was "Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye" by Gracie Fields here. And those songs really showed who my dad was, and his sense of humour. My mum chose the last song that was played (as my dad had only picked two, and we needed three), my mum chose "We'll meet again" by Vera Lynn here.

As hard as it is, I know that he is now at peace, without any more pain. Sometimes life seems so unfair, all of this makes me think how short life is, and it shouldn't be wasted. Life is precious.