Happy Birthday, Dad x

Happy Birthday, Dad! You would have been 59 today, 10th Feb.

We would have had smoked salmon for birthday breakfast and then spent the day all together, down the beach maybe with the dogs or out for the day somewhere and then maybe we would have ended up in Café Des for a margarita. Dad would have been surrounded by love from all of us and it breaks our hearts that we’ll never get to spend time like this with him again. We still can’t put into words how much we miss him.

Friends ask if we’ll still celebrate Dad’s birthday or mark the occasion somehow to remember him on his birthday. Dad is always in our hearts and minds and we mark the occasion every day he is not with us. He is the first thing we think of when we wake up and the last thing we think of when we go to bed and it doesn’t feel right to celebrate yet, we still miss him too much.

So, we’d like to instead use today to raise awareness of mental health amongst men and raise money for MenWalkTalk – a charity which promotes positive change to mental wellbeing for men. With a small group of friends and mum at the mini-bus wheel, on 15 April we will climb the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales (23 miles distance, 3000 meter ascent, 462 miles driving) in 24 hours – and we’d love if you are able to please donate! We’ve chosen this charity as we know the money will have a real impact on the lives of the men the charity works with.

Happy birthday Dad, we hope you’re at peace and we love you.