Fiona Ferris of How to Be Chic is one of my favorite bloggers and is someone who has inspired me to finally start writing again.  If you aren’t already following her, you should be as she is the embodiment of a graceful ager.  Fiona’s most recent post is a heartfelt description of how she is managing the grief of recently losing her beloved father and, most importantly how she is planning to continue to live her life in a way that honors his legacy.  You can read it here.

You are never truly prepared to lose a parent.  Logically, you understand you are most likely going to outlive your parents; emotionally you are really never ready to say goodbye.   It’s been nearly ten years since I lost my own father and I still cannot “fight back the tears” every time I hear Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again from Phantom of the Opera.   This song so beautifully expresses the heartache that lessens but never truly goes away, but also points one to go on living.

As I write this, an extended family member is walking the last earthly steps with her father.   We throw around the phrase “good man” too freely in our society and it diminishes the value of the truly great men we meet.  His loss will be greatly felt as he was a truly good man and his will be a lasting legacy of a good life.