If I live to be one hundred years old, no matter what happens in the coming thirty-three years, 2017 will always be the worst year of my life. It will also be, undoubtedly, the very best year of my life.
Throughout 2016 and in the early part of 2017 my wife was always complaining that I sat about the house doing nothing more than write books to publish on Amazon. Books that nobody ever read and books that would never transform me into a wealthy best selling author. She was for ever urging me to get involved in some form of community work. I was not in the least bit interested.
My beautiful and so much loved daughter Rebekah passed away on Friday 19th May. All her life she had been plagued with kidney problems and had been unwell for many weeks but still her death was sudden and unexpected. Beck and I have always been close, I just could not imagine life without her.
At her funeral the chapel was packed, it was standing room only. Rebekah had been dealt a bad hand in the card game of life but she had touched so many, many lives with her kindness and her love.
Her cheeky smile was legendary and infectious. I defy anyone to produce a photograph of
2017 will always be the worst year of my life, nothing could ever change that.
2017 is also the most wonderful year of my life. I am now involved in so may different areas of activity. We have OurRebekah which her friends set up to support Ronald McDonald Houses. I am part of our local radio station through which I intend to generate support for all kinds of different causes. I joined the team as Audience Development Manager but will soon be presenting my own show - David's Adventures In Music. I have become a Sheffield Wednesday fan. I have made contact with so many of my former students and hope something will come out of that friendship where we Leonites can support other people less fortunate than ourselves. I used to say that I was of the wrong generation to make social media work, I am now a social media expert, my Facebook page is alwaus in the top 2% for UK activity. . One of my former students has involved me in the celebration party for Bletchley Youth Centre's 50th
As and when I can find time I still write stories.
I even have my medal for completing the Big Fun Run - NO I did not come in last !
Quite a portfolio for someone who said he did not want to become involved in any voluntary activity !
Rebekah you are responsible for this !
I am involved in so many different things life can be a bit stressful at times. At other times that can be a major understatement.
But it is not this collection of activity orbiting round my life that has made 2017 such a special year. It is all of the wonderful, beautiful people I can now call my friends that makes 2017 so special.
If you take the years from 1950 all the way to 2016 and add them together I have made more friends in 2017 than I have in the preceding 66 years added together. These are special friends, wonderful, beautiful people.
Something has happened with the friends I already had, friends from those 66 years. Our friendship has strengthened.
I boast about my friends ll the time. When our city's Mayor and his wife give me a Christmas present I took pride in telling people.
Yesterday Sheffield Wednesday FC sacked its manager. My friend Club Director Trevor must have spent Christmas Eve up to his eyes in dealing with the media yet at thirty-one
Hi David
Many thanks again for the gifts and good wishes. We are honoured to have welcomed you as a Wednesday supporter and I hope you are as proud of yourself as we are of you.
I hope you have a great Christmas and our paths will hopefully cross on New Year's Day.
Kind regards as always
Trevor
But this boasting is not my being immodest or engaging in a massif ego trip, well I hope it is not. It is an expression of pride to have so many wonderful people around me. Pride in the world we live in.
Yesterday one after another Leonite sent me a message wishing my family a Happy Christmas. Heck it has been twenty years since I was head of year at Leon School. When Rebekah died 120 of my wonderful, beautiful former students sent Maureen and I messages of love.
I live - you life - in a beautiful world filled with some incredible people - people I am so
deeply proud to call my friends, my special friends.
deeply proud to call my friends, my special friends.
In a short while my very best friend Maureen who has put up with me for almost forty years and I will exchange presents. Maureen thank you for putting up with me all this time. I love you so much.
Today on Christmas morning, wearing my Santa Hat - both the traditional one and the one in Sheffield Wednesday colours may I wish everyone a wonderful HAPPY CHRISTMAS
Let's all together have an amazing 2018 in this special world we all live in, a world made special by the beautiful friends who live here.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
I plan to leave this blog entry on-line over Christmas. I will start writing again on 30th of December.
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