The last few weeks I have struggled to sit down and write a blog post. My head has been clouded and it has been difficult to want to write about high performance, mindset or motivation, sales, recruitment or other topics I love to write about.
The reason behind this is that recently my Grandpa has been diagnosed with significant cancer (throughout his body) and the situation ahead of him is nothing short of challenging. My Grandpa and I are very close, (and have been ever since I was young) he has been an inspiration, a voice of reason and helped shape the character and person I have become today. He has been moved into an aged care facility with 24x7 care and the reality is that he will not survive. He has medication to allow him to have more time but that is all. Fortunately, he still has all his faculties, but it is hard to watch someone you are close to struggle (both physically and emotionally) knowing that the end is near.
How have I began to process this? It is hard! I am not one to openly share feelings that make me feel weak or vulnerable (particularly as when I was young you were told not to be soft!) but this is the very process that has helped me work through things, grieve and find acceptance. I decided to take the opportunity to write something for my Grandpa and share it with him when the family and I visited him recently.
It was emotional and hard to share but equally an incredible moment that we shared together and allowed him to truly understand the impact he had on my life. It also opened up a whole new discussion between us.
Below is what I shared:
For Grandpa
How do you share just a few words for someone whose impact on your life has been extreme?
Friendship, support, strength, words of wisdom, always there for you, these and more were the common theme,
When I was young and about to cause a scene,
You were the voice of reason, would call it as it was, pull me aside, sort it out, but always on my team!
That didn’t mean I could walk through fire without getting burnt,
Sometimes there were consequences, others there weren’t,
You just understood how to get through, many lessons were learnt,
So many little things I do today as a result of you,
Like holding a door to let any ladies through,
To being a man of my word and always true,
My character you helped form,
You gave me strength when I was sick, helped me through many a storm,
Of life,
You even knew when I had found the one who would be my wife,
I still remember when I was lost,
You took it upon you as you knew the cost,
The tough call was made, strong words from my friend, a confidant, never the boss,
I still remember you driving 1 hour to pick me up to take me home that night,
I remember waiting for you, ready to fight,
But in one straight conversation you gave me new insight,
And in the moment and moving forward I knew everything would be alright,
The big picture you could always see,
From my own traps you would help set me free,
Whatever was going on, you always seemed to have the key,
I was the tiger, you the lion, names for one another when I was only small,
I remember how we this would give me strength every time I would call,
Kings of the jungle, king of the beasts, how something so simple helped me rise whenever I would fall,
Through all of life’s challenges you helped me stand tall,
I remember growing up of us all you were always proud,
You didn’t have to say too much, your roar was loud,
I could see it in your smile, in that look in your eye,
That’s something I will miss when you finally say goodbye,
You are one of life’s true gentlemen, a father, grandfather, great grandfather, to many a friend,
I wish that time didn’t change things, that there would never be an end,
You’ve gone through life’s fire, filled with challenge, pressure and come out a diamond,
But to me you will always simply be the lion,
Part of you will always be with me in my core,
How I will miss you, how I will miss you roar,
I will finish off with a short prayer,
To thank you for all that we had, the memories we share,
For being the rock that was always there,
I will hold on to all that you have taught me, this I swear,
For the battle ahead, know I will always be there,
In the way that you were always there for me,
In strength, in spirit, whatever you need until the day you're set free,
To join our Lord in eternity,
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I am grateful for the time we have had, the time we have left together and that I had the opportunity to share his impact on my life before he passes.
I shared the above and this story in a hope that it will inspire others to share how you feel, spend more time with your loved ones, reflect on what is important and not be afraid to say things that are often left unsaid. You won’t regret it. :)
Today also marks Grandma and Grandpa's 66th wedding anniversary which by chance also fell on the same day as my wife and I, albeit 51 years ahead of us. Happy Anniversary!
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