A sad moment

I wasn’t sure whether I should write this blog, or publish it, but I promised myself when I started this journey that I would be true and honest, and blog about real life. The sad truth is life can be sad, and hard, it can rip your heart out, it can hurt like you never thought possible. It can also be beautiful and magical. There are things I have seen that are too precious to put into words, life is a journey, both good and bad, there are moments of pure elation, laughter, joy and moments where you can barely leave your bed. Today’s blog is real and raw, but I felt compelled to write it, because sometimes for me words is the only way I know how to express myself, so to my beautiful friend Rebecca, I write this with love, I write this for you, in memory of your brother, mother, nephew and father, may you know always how special you are to me.

Today’s blog is an impromptu blog dedicated to the memory of a wonderful man, the father of my very dear friend Rebecca, Giovanni (Johnny) Nicolazzo, who sadly passed away two nights ago after a long term battle with ill health. Rebecca who was by his side was a devoted daughter who could never do enough to support her father. A couple of years ago her nephew was stillborn, she then lost her brother Paul to heart complications and her mother a week passed a week later of breast cancer. Rebecca devoted a huge part of her life caring for her father after her mother and brother passed. Last January he walked her down the aisle on a beautiful sandy beach, and gave her away to her husband, although Giovanni was weak he wouldn’t have missed that moment for the world, and it will be a moment Rebecca will hold dear forever.

My heart and thoughts are with my friend and her family at this difficult time. My beautiful friend Katy also recently lost her mother, and another friend lost her brother Jason way too young. Tragedy occurs every day, we all have our stories and loved ones we dearly miss. I am truly thankful everyday to still have my parents with me, I almost lost my own mother to Guillain Barre Syndrome two years ago this Christmas day, and when she finally pulled through we thought she may never walk again, almost two years on, and although she has some weakness, she is walking, and gardening, and she is still here being my mum.

I still remember the pain of watching her suffer, I remember when she wouldn’t wake up, being afraid I would never be able to share a moment with her again, that she would never really get to know who my children would become. When she finally regained consciousness she didn’t know who we were, it was one of the most painful moments of my life, and the moment she remembered me was one of the best moments of my life. I am one of the lucky ones, my mother is still here, my father too. As I watch my dear friends in pain I realise that time is precious, moments become treasured memories of the future.

Rebecca sent me a photo just after he passed of her and her father holding hands taken just before he died, it was just of their hands, a young and old hand, and was one of the most moving photographs I have ever seen. It was a true, honest moment of love, of loss, a lifetime of memories and devotion between a father and his daughter.

In memory of these wonderful parents, and all loved ones lost I would invite you to donate to a worthy charity. And when you do, take a moment and remember those who have been lost to you, or to ones you love, and remember the wonderful moments you shared.

to donate to breast cancer research go to  https://my.nbcf.org.au/donate

to donate to children’s cancer fund go to  https://cciadonate.gofundraise.com.au/

To donate to stillbirth Australia  go to http://www.stillbirthfoundation.org.au/

UK donate to cancer research  http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/support-us/donate

USA donate to the American Cancer Society  https://donate.cancer.org/index

Thank you as always for joining me, and thank you for your donations to these worthy causes.