Connecting with Des
As always, our thoughts are with Jo, Daragh, Colin, Aine and Elma and the rest of their family. And with my brothers Gary and Fergus, and our late sister Gill.
Yesterday was also the day that a poem written by Daragh, An Undertaker's Son, was published in the Sydney-based Backstory Journal. For those who remember Des, an undertaker was just part of what he was, but an important part, and Daragh has absolutely captured his empathy and humanity in the thoughtful lines.
This week also will see a return to Kilcullen of The Moon and Sixpence band, raising funds for Kilcullen 700. Des was one of the founder members of the band, which has gathered many tens of thousands of euro for community and charitable causes. It will be especially poignant for them.
Finally, just days before Des died, I was able to show him photographs of our own new-born grand-daughter Ellen. The smile that lit up his face as he perused them was a bright spot in what had become a dark time.
He would be glad to know that, no less than did his and Jo's own children earlier, Ellen has grown into a beautiful and thoughtful teenager, with many talents, along with her equally beautiful and talented younger sister Tammy.
So when I read Daragh's poetry, hear The Moon and Sixpence, and see pictures of Ellen from far away in Melbourne, I'm brought close again to Des.
Recalling our loved ones is not about a name on a piece of stone, but the connections that they made in life and which endure and grow.
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