Last night I got a massive shock. I am holding a charity night in June in memory of my dad who passed away last April. The proceeds will be going to the Macmillan Cancer Support and the local hospice.
I wanted to contact a couple of dad's close friends from the tenant's movement which he had been actively involved in most of his life. He was the chair of the Scottish Tenants Organisation which represented tenants from all over Scotland. He also had a lot of contacts in England and abroad.
Anyway, I thought I would look up one his friends online and came across a video made of a campaign in Glasgow and who did I see but my dad. He was then interviewed. What a shock I got. It was absolutely lovely seeing dad alive and well and, most of all, hearing his voice, but I was breaking my heart crying. I know I am lucky as I can listen to his voice whenever I want, something most people will never be able to do, but it was really hard and very very sad.
All of this took place while he was seriously ill with cancer, although none of us knew it at the time. The video was filmed about six months before he passed away, around the time I held a party to celebrate the fact that I had been given the all clear from cancer after six years. We would never had guessed that within six months dad would be diagnosed and die.
I don't know when I will have the courage to go back and look at the video, but I feel really priviledged to have had such a wonderful man as my father and also that I will be able to hear his voice again any time I want.
Love to one and all.
Christine xx
