Memories

The 19th of December, a date that will always be of great significance as it is the date my father died, 8 years ago now.  As is now 'the norm' I made my pilgrimage over to Comrie, with my son, to pay my respects.  The weather was a bit snowy and cold, but always seems to be on this day.  I also always stop off at the main graveyard where my grandfather, grandmother and Auntie are buried.  My father always disliked the headstone they have, saying it was ostentatious. I do like the intertwined JD though, my initials, or were and will be again. I never really paid much notice to the inscription before at the bottom, but it really hit me today.  It reads 'I to the hills will lift mine eyes'.  Rather strangely it was pretty much the same inscription that caught my eye at the top of Mount Blair in my post 8/10/13 which reads 'I will lift up mine eyes unto the hill'.  How spooky! and when I put my usual random photo on Facebook from that walk I put that inscription against the photo I posted.

Journeyed along to the Woodland Cemetery and toasted my father with a malt, rather unattractively contained in a jam jar.  When I say toasted, I poured some on his headstone, I don't drink.  As always on cue the Red Kites appeared, what a delight, awesome birds.  I missed out on what potentially could have been a great photo, too slow, and generally staring in awe.  I turned around and one flew up from behind a mound, so close to me, probably about 30 feet away. Wow.

I miss my father very much and his advice.  He was a down to earth, hard working, clever and generous man who kept himself to himself.  I strongly believe he is still watching over, but if I told you how, you wouldn't believe me.  Some things are unexplained, but he came through when I was looking for some important paperwork a few months ago. My mother was witness to this, but maybe it was all just coincidental, like the Red Kites soaring.

71 days and counting.