Written by Kathleen Montaigue.
February 2011


People keep saying, “Life’s too short” and I can’t help thinking, “is that your excuse for not accomplishing anything in your life?”

life isn’t short! It’s the longest thing you and I will ever see!
ok yes, I remember like it was yesterday curling up in “that coat” and hiding from the storm in my Dads arms, but that’s not to say that the years in between haven’t been filled with wonderful memories of their own.
61 years, does that seem short? Does that seem unfair? I don’t think so, because there wasn’t a year out of those 61, probably not even a week in his life, when he didn’t get a smile from someone who loved him, when he didn’t pass on something amazing, when he didn’t take meaningless words and turn them into something beautiful .
Yes, our Dad, our friend, the love of our Mums life is dead, but never could someone have said “sick old man” and been referring to him! (Unless they mean his humour)
and yes his time on earth is up, but what a great time it was.

There are some people I know who will worry, and to them I say don’t.
And there are even some people who will think I’m heartless, and to them I say nothing and smile.
Because yes, I have my head held high, but only because I can feel his finger under my chin.
And you probably wont see my cry, but only because he is wiping away my tears.
And I may be able to sleep at night, but only because he is rocking me in his arms.
You will see me smile to myself, or is it at him?
And you will hear me laugh, but you didn’t hear the joke he just whispered in my ear.
But I promise you this, you will hear him play, because he is in Ben’s fingers and he is in Eli’s arms, he is in my voice, and he has left us with his inspiration, his love, his girl, our Mum.

My Dad, our friend, Erle Montaigue, he died while he was alive.

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