Turn your face towards to the sun...
...and the shadows will always be behind you.
The funeral was beautiful, in that way that funerals can be I guess. Speeches from James and Jem which were truly moving, and the emergence of what must have been, I don't know, 200 people to see her off. What a day.
I wish I was able to tell her what an inspiration that she was to me. From a really early age, my family have all been a super strong influence for me, those that I look up to and probably never appreciated enough to be totally honest. But still. Hindsight is a wonderful thing right? Tina was always shown (is that the right word?) to me as the vibrant little sister of my Dad's and Phil's. Dads the one who is sound as a pound - utterly dependable do-anything for anyone kind of guy, Phil is the cheeky one who is similarly dependable and is famously our resident truck driver and closest thing to one of us living on our family farm too, and Tina, well, was always the one that was a little bit ... well... not reckless per se, but she CERTAINLY wasn't afraid to take life by the horns! I was always told lots of stories by her and others of the old banger cars, the 'IOU's ' in the land rover tin,... and the fact that when people are telling me these things, its always '....oh we did laugh...that was such a good time...', and that they're usually smiling and laughing too. I always remembered being allowed to jump on the sofa and play on the computer at her house when I was a kid, and the sound of the beautiful south on CD while she was cleaning up or something - that, and the numerous family occasions be it BBQs or meals or Xmas or whatever it was, where she would always be the life of the party and a good partner in crime for eating too much, and a bottle of wine buddy!! The natural spark, the independence, the excitement for life, and the smile she always infectiously spread about all of us every time we got together .... even in the hospice at the end.... i've always, always admired her for it. She always lived life the exciting way, jumping into opportunities, doing what she wanted to do (so long as it didn't hurt anyone else of course), and i've always endeavoured to do the same. She was one of the few people to encourage me to get off and go do what I wanted, when I said I was quitting work to go kayaking...'good for you Rach'.... was what I got (that, and a glass of Merlot handed to me!) and Ill always remember that. She for me was a loving caring aunt, and an inspiration, and will be missed dearly.
I cant even begin to understand what her immediate family have lost. Teen was a huge influence for me when growing up, and a bright light to be around always but I couldn't possibly have known her as well as her children, her parents and siblings, and her partner. I cant imagine what that must be like, but I hope that they all find the strength they need from remembering how bright she was, and how much she would all be looking at us saying....'stop moping about and go out there and live life to the full' ... ' dont get being all sad and upset because of me...'
I hope your smiling up there Teen, and I hope that we all can make you proud in the future....and that at some distant point we'll see you again....will miss you loads dude. In the meantime, ill always remember you with the sun on your back, sunnies on, a glass of red in your hand, and a giant smile on that gorgeous face of yours ... heheh, and your perpetually skinny bikini fit self as well making us all jealous!
I don't think i've got any photos which is a horrible shame but, I have them in my head, forever. As you showed me, I intend to live life to the full, appreciate what ive got, and go on making these days the good old days and sharing them with the people that I love to be with. Love you dude, miss you already, say hi to PB for me :) xXxXxXx
Turn your face towards the sun, and the shadows will always be behind you.
The funeral was beautiful, in that way that funerals can be I guess. Speeches from James and Jem which were truly moving, and the emergence of what must have been, I don't know, 200 people to see her off. What a day.
I wish I was able to tell her what an inspiration that she was to me. From a really early age, my family have all been a super strong influence for me, those that I look up to and probably never appreciated enough to be totally honest. But still. Hindsight is a wonderful thing right? Tina was always shown (is that the right word?) to me as the vibrant little sister of my Dad's and Phil's. Dads the one who is sound as a pound - utterly dependable do-anything for anyone kind of guy, Phil is the cheeky one who is similarly dependable and is famously our resident truck driver and closest thing to one of us living on our family farm too, and Tina, well, was always the one that was a little bit ... well... not reckless per se, but she CERTAINLY wasn't afraid to take life by the horns! I was always told lots of stories by her and others of the old banger cars, the 'IOU's ' in the land rover tin,... and the fact that when people are telling me these things, its always '....oh we did laugh...that was such a good time...', and that they're usually smiling and laughing too. I always remembered being allowed to jump on the sofa and play on the computer at her house when I was a kid, and the sound of the beautiful south on CD while she was cleaning up or something - that, and the numerous family occasions be it BBQs or meals or Xmas or whatever it was, where she would always be the life of the party and a good partner in crime for eating too much, and a bottle of wine buddy!! The natural spark, the independence, the excitement for life, and the smile she always infectiously spread about all of us every time we got together .... even in the hospice at the end.... i've always, always admired her for it. She always lived life the exciting way, jumping into opportunities, doing what she wanted to do (so long as it didn't hurt anyone else of course), and i've always endeavoured to do the same. She was one of the few people to encourage me to get off and go do what I wanted, when I said I was quitting work to go kayaking...'good for you Rach'.... was what I got (that, and a glass of Merlot handed to me!) and Ill always remember that. She for me was a loving caring aunt, and an inspiration, and will be missed dearly.
I cant even begin to understand what her immediate family have lost. Teen was a huge influence for me when growing up, and a bright light to be around always but I couldn't possibly have known her as well as her children, her parents and siblings, and her partner. I cant imagine what that must be like, but I hope that they all find the strength they need from remembering how bright she was, and how much she would all be looking at us saying....'stop moping about and go out there and live life to the full' ... ' dont get being all sad and upset because of me...'
I hope your smiling up there Teen, and I hope that we all can make you proud in the future....and that at some distant point we'll see you again....will miss you loads dude. In the meantime, ill always remember you with the sun on your back, sunnies on, a glass of red in your hand, and a giant smile on that gorgeous face of yours ... heheh, and your perpetually skinny bikini fit self as well making us all jealous!
I don't think i've got any photos which is a horrible shame but, I have them in my head, forever. As you showed me, I intend to live life to the full, appreciate what ive got, and go on making these days the good old days and sharing them with the people that I love to be with. Love you dude, miss you already, say hi to PB for me :) xXxXxXx
Turn your face towards the sun, and the shadows will always be behind you.
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