The silver lining which appears, amid the sorrow that clouds our lives today, is the presence of an opportunity to share with you some reflections of the jewel of a man with whom my sister and I are so very blessed to have had the honour of calling our Father. Life without the presence of this wise, humble and endlessly compassionate human being will never again be the same.
One of the earliest memories that I have of my Father, while he was taking a well-deserved break from his many charitable endeavours, is that of him reading books. In light of his tremendously benevolent nature he was, not surprisingly, drawn to the sympathetic writings of Charles Dickens. Throughout his life, my Father was endlessly kind, generous and forgiving in his judgements of other people. I have always looked up to him and he will forever be my role model.
My Father understood, very deeply, the sanctity of solitude. He thrived in the great outdoors where majestic mountains, streams and lakes provided a sanctuary. Family camping trips revealed to us his love of nature and wildlife. He often spoke of his childhood in England and the beauty of Cornwall, recalling how incredible it was to see waves crashing up against the rugged coastline on stormy days.
Of late, I have turned to the poetry of Emily Dickinson for solace and would like to share the following lines with you:
Of Death I try to think like this,
The Well in which they lay us
Is but the Likeness of the Brook
That menaced not to slay us,
But to invite by that Dismay
Which is the Zest of sweetness
To the same Flower Hesperian,
Decoying but to greet us –
I do remember when a Child
With bolder Playmates straying
To where a Brook that seemed a Sea
Withheld us by its roaring
From just a Purple Flower beyond
Until constrained to clutch it
If Doom itself were the result,
The boldest leaped, and clutched it –
In spite of the intense waves of grief that must be endured, I am assured that my beloved Father is at peace and that Heaven is ever more fragrant, now graced with his presence.
Wendy Patricia Kerslake
10 April 2018
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