I’ll let nothing be my dismay anymore.
This is turning into Tamara’s page of eulogies. Nothing like a moment
seized in time to recall how someone touched you so you can look back
and say you did your duty.
I said goodbye to a dear friend today. I got the opportunity to meet
his sister in law, and his son. I told him I am a manic depressive,
and that his father was a great source of joy in my life. I cried. I
wore his favorite blouse, the one I wore to our MP’s office one
afternoon, a place we frequently met… he noted with a gleam in his
eye that you could see right through it.
I don’t remember when I met Viv… He was just always there. With a
gleam in his eye. I remember once I hurt his feelings… accused him
of some slight he hadn’t intended. I remember the shocked look on his
face when I confessed what was troubling me, and the hurt that flashed
in his eyes and made the gleam flicker a moment… like a candle flame
in a breeze. I realized how cruel my own mind could be not just to
me, but to those around me who intend only the best for me.
I will always remember how much joy always shone on his face, even
when he was hospitalized and isolated from society for over 2 years.
I felt alot in common with Viv during those years… my legs may not
have been broken, but my wings sure were clipped. I never felt like I
belonged much in Oshawa, but Viv wouldn’t have me feel that way in his
presence… he made me feel welcome, valued, and loved, and hope I
took it with me.
I’m gone from Oshawa now, and Viv is gone from us, and life will march
on… But I will keep his words in my purse to remind me what a
tremendous spirit he was, and how lucky I was to have had it touch
mine… and do my duty and carry on in that spirit we shared. For
those of you who weren’t able to attend, I will share here the words
he left me with, courtesy of his family who shared this piece of
poetry he wrote on the back of his funerary cards.
I express here my gratitude to them for sharing this intimate moment
with me today, a perfect stranger.
If only we had the time to say…
Time is precious, why do we squander it so?
Problems, bills, situations as through life we go.
Take time to do some living,
Life is so much better when we are giving.
Count your blessings, things are not that bad.
When we are alive and healthy,
We should not be sad.
If only we could learn to enjoy the simple things,
We could have more riches than all of the kings.
Take time to watch the children play,
Let the flowers and sunshine brighten your day.
We chase after faame, we must have wealth,
Stop for a moment, the important thing is our health.
Let us stop the conflict, make amends,
Take the time to make true friends.
So mucn to do, so much strife,
Why can’t we see we are missing out on life?
Love will make the world a better place.
Let us keep a smile on our face.
We all know that life can be tough,
Sometimes it can be really rough.
Let us stop for a while and see what we’ve got,
We have family, friends.
We do have a lot.
All we have to do is show our neighbours we care,
And the world can become a beautiful affair.
We have all been there for a reason,
We need more love every season.
Now that we are starting to see what we can arrange,
Working together, the world we can change.
Oh yes, that’s it, we must be right.
Oh the future looks so bright.
Oh no!
We are out of time,
If only we could start again.
Viv dedicated this poem to a lady named Linda Summerhill, who inspired
him to look at life differently.
Thanks Viv, for helping me to see it that way too.
Taken the night of Council Karaoke 2010. Photo Courtesy Joe Pacione