Goodbyes

I know I set out for this to be about my preparations and trip to Machu Picchu, but right now it seems important to digress a little.

Today was Steves funeral. I don't like funerals, it almost seems perverse catching up with old friends whilst saying goodbye to one. Today is no different, but it really did bring a smile to my face, remembering those innocent times growing up through drama, when the biggest problem seemed to be late homework or lines not learned.

I'm reminded of the foots prints so many people have left in my heart, some of them quite faded with time. I remember going through some tough times with a lot of the people I saw today, thinking at the time that the latest trials and tribulations could well be the end of the world. We got through them and became stronger. There were friendships that we thought at the time would continue forever -and in some ways they are still strong requiring little maintenance, there are also those people that you never really got to know at the time, and somehow regret it.

Perhaps the most uttered phrase today was 'enjoy life while you can, you never know what is around the corner'. When Nicky Burch tragically died some 15 years ago now, I tried to make sure that whereever possible I let people know what an impact they have had on my life. I don't think I've done too bad a job at it -I know I can do better hopefully I will.

Thank-you for taking the time to read through my melancholy thoughts, I hope my next posts will be more positive and bring across the sense of adventure I have at the moment.