The last goodbye

Easter Day different for me this year. Instead of attending church here, Sarah and I drove up to our family’s holiday house in the Blue Mountains where we spent the day with members of my extended family.

There was plenty of laughter, especially during the Easter egg hunt.

Though the “children” are all more than 17 years old they insist on continuing the tradition!

Then six of us went for a short walk through the bush.

The path was overgrown and is seldom used by anyone except locals who know the beauty in store at the end.

After a 10 minute tramp the scrub suddenly cleared, and we found ourselves on a wide level expanse of rock ending with a terrifyingly sharp drop into the wooded valley hundreds of metres below.

My father loved this spot. In fact the family named it after him – though you won’t find it on any map

He had no fear of heights,and was a fearless mountain-climber as a young man.

However others didn’t share his confidence that he wouldn’t topple over the sharp precipice and my mother was always trying to hold him back.

It seemed the perfect place for us to dispose of his ashes.

Having to engage in a little team work of our own provided some welcome moments of light relief as we said a very emotional goodbye.

I know he is with the Lord, and these were merely his mortal remains, but for me it was a very hard moment.

I miss you, Pa, but thanks to the promise of Easter I know we will see you again one day in a much better place.