Wednesday 25th May 2011
I don't know where the last month has gone. Literally. The first 10 days went in a blur of forcing myself to continue. Making terrible phone calls. Greeting people. Serving biscuits. Making smalltalk. While my mind was swirling in a benumbed haze. Then we were organising for the Memorial Service booking the ferry journey, driving over a 1000 miles, to be with family and loved ones...
and now I am back home...
A month ago today, my brother Paul, drowned in an accident at his lake in Brittany, and for a while I never thought I would be able to bear looking at water again... it was an agony sitting on the ferry looking at the grey murky water as we travelled from Belfast to Stranraer...
Then we started taking Ziggy for walks... and her favourite destination was the river...
Ziggy was Paul's dog...
She is a year and 1 month old... just a big fluffy silly puppy...
His wife Steffi bought her for him after his beloved German Shepherd Roxy died...
For a while, he and Ziggy struggled to bond... all the grumbles he had about Roxy... became grumbles because Ziggy did not possess these qwerks of personality...
My brother Paul was born on 12th July 1967 with the music of the local Orange Band getting ready to march for the 12th July celebrations (they were starting that year next door from us)...
Paul was a typical Cancerian... and always loved water and was drawn to it as a child... it didn't matter if it was an ocean, a lake, a pond, a rock pool or a puddle... he would find pleasure in the water...
Ziggy also finds immense pleasure in going for a swim and cooling down...
She is a beautiful dog...
With a vibrant, warm, caring personality...
She was the last living creature with my brother...
As they walked around the lake together... a month ago...
and this is why she is featured today for my Watery Wednesday... as I think about him...
And Ziggy has a new life with Paul's gorgeous daughters and his wife Steffi...
