Welcoming new beginnings

It has been an emotional six weeks. A time of great change with the passing of my darling father. I never imagined that this is where we would be when we went off travelling and exploring through the Pilbara in early July.  I keep going back over the last few weeks and trying to fathom how we got from there to here. I have felt that someone else has been in control of my life...it certainly wasn't me.  As John Lennon wisely said....."life is what happens while you are making other plans".

During this time my camera has been my solace and I have kept up my 365 Project as I work my way through what life has thrown my way.  Amazingly those wintery images are around the time of my Dad's passing.

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Over the last week I have read two posts by fellow bloggers about change - Jo Castro on Lifestyle Fifty talked about relocating home - you can read her post here - 11 Reasons to Embrace Change and across the other side of the world Gayle at Behind the Garden Gate talked about her own new beginnings - you can read her post here - New beginnings at Behind the Garden Gate

I am not good at change or taking leaps of faith towards new beginnings but I do believe that things happen when they do for a reason and if they are meant to happen they will happen when they are meant to. 

And so I sat by my father's bedside, and held his hand, and kissed his forehead, and told him I loved him and that it was ok for him to go to be with Mum. I continued to talk to him even after he could no longer respond and didn't even open his eyes when I spoke. I believe he still knew I was there.
I now I have said goodbye to my darling Dad and in the process I have cried bucket loads.

I have just read this beautiful post by my blogging friend Rae - it really captures what it was like those last days of my Dad's life - Those waiting to die

But I know Dad is where he wanted to be, reunited with the love of his life, his wife, my Mum, who left us just over two years ago. 

In the process of packing up Mum and Dad's life I have found treasures like this recipe book in the bottom of my Mum's recipe book drawer. I made it in Kindergarten, years and years ago.  All the mothers supplied recipes, and each child made the cover for their own recipe book to give to their mother for Christmas. I didn't know my Mum had kept it all those years. This recipe for Perth Sponge is one of the ones she submitted. I will have to make it.

And an old wooden jigsaw which was given to my Dad at Christmas 1937 when he was eight years old. It is a picture of the ship the Queen Mary in Trafalgar Square. This first jigsaw puzzle was the beginning of a life long passion for my Dad.  So I sat down and made the puzzle the other day. There is one piece missing. A metaphor for life perhaps as one dear friend said to me. I still have the first jigsaw puzzle my Dad gave me, and remember clearly climbing up onto his bed at my grandmother's house on Christmas morning to make it. I was probably about five at the time.

As I sift through the fragments of their lives and hold again rediscovered treasures and find special places in my own home for these memories, the raindrops fall, but now they have a silvery sparkle. 

And little by little I am starting to bring the sunshine back in.

I know they say you shouldn't go back over the past, but in doing so over these last few weeks I have found peace and a way forward. And I am tentatively saying "hello to new beginnings" as I move towards my future.

 Do you adapt to change? Do you have mechanisms to cope with it or do you embrace it full on?
Have you recently lost a loved one? -  my heart goes out to you if you have. I never realized what an impact loosing my Dad would have on me.

Thank you dear readers for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. Have a wonderful week. 

I hope to be back very soon with the continuation of our Pilbara trip, as promised. 


I am linking up to Mosaic Monday, Our World Tuesday, Wednesday Around the World, and What's It Wednesday.  Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday
Our World Tuesday
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
What's It Wednesday

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