It’s never easy when you lose someone you love. Especially when it is someone like you father.

Two years my dad was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. He had to endure months and months of chemotherapy. When he ate, it made him feel sick, he didn’t want to do anything and then he got better. Great news he was told he was in remission. He had beaten the horrible disease. In February this year after been told at a check-up he was still in remission, a couple of weeks later, he was not feeling too well and was rushed into hospital. He was told the cancer was back and that it had attacked four different areas and was much more aggressive than before. No one wants to hear this.

He was started on a more aggressive form of chemotherapy, which unfortunately drained him of energy. He struggled to walk, to eat, everything unfortunately was a struggle for him. He was hospitalised again.

Mum and dad celebrated their 43^rd wedding anniversary on 17^th May.  They had been together for 46 years.

On the 19^th May, we get the phone call. “Are you coming to see Mr Atkinson, today.” We know that is never a good call to receive.

What was weird on the 19^th May, even though my mum lives 20 minutes from the hospital and I live 2 hours from there, my mum, my brother and myself all arrived at the hospital at the same time.

We were too late. 11 minutes after the hospital had called my mum, my dad closed his eyes and was out of pain.

On June 8^th, it was dad’s funeral. Our final farewell. I told mum, I would like to do a reading at the service. Something that I had written myself. A piece that is personal to us.

For Dad

Firstly Dad, we all thank you
For the home you gave us
And for all the love and things we had

Do you remember when we were young
You’d call us, for a gift we thought
But instead to be your remote control

With your special love you showed us the way
To believe in ourselves
And the decisions that we make

We will always remember you being there
Making us laugh
And sometimes making us cry

We may have caused you trouble and strife
With the paths we chose to walk
But you were there and walked them with us

Through the good and the bad times
No matter what
You were there for Mum and all of us

Now you are with your mother and your father
Playing trains with your younger brother
Amongst your heroes, like you are to us

Dad you may have left us far too soon
But know this
We love you always and you will never leave us

You are to us and always will be
Our Dad, a Grandad
And Mum’s true love.

 

They were the hardest words I ever had to write and even harder to read aloud at the service.  I did it though and I know dad was standing there beside me as I did.

Sleep tight dad. We will love you always.