20 years 20 memories - marvellous ....

ernest daniel raison {known as bill} he made every day marvellous

It was late afternoon after spending hours chatting to dad, massaging his feet, watching on as friends and neighbours would hug his extremely frail body, he was home where he was the happiest.  We all knew it wouldn't be long now but he didn't show it once, he was still taking care of us and I will never forget how blue and sparkly his eyes were that day.  I needed to go home and pick up Geoff and the kids and while I was away he left us.  He was a farmer, cricketer, cleaner, painter, coal miner, cook, avid card player and still looked at mum as though it was the first moment they met.  He could recite poetry, cry at sappy movies and he loved us all with such a beautiful open heart. My dad and I had talked about me starting my business and he said that sounds like a marvellous idea, he used the word marvellous many times in conversation so that is why in many aspects of my business you will see this word used.  When you are lucky enough to be raised by such a beautiful human when they leave you, life changes so much but for me I just wanted to somehow bring him with me on this journey...  So the word marvellous is my dad here with me, together always .... I was 33 years old when I lost my dad and today marks 20 years since I last saw those twinkly blue eyes and heard the word marvellous from his lips.

“Oh, my ways are strange ways and new ways and old ways, And deep ways and steep ways and high ways and low, I’m at home and at ease on a track that I know not, And restless and lost on a road that I know.”
-Henry Lawson