Many times over the last few years I have actually wondered what it would be like to stand up here and give this eulogy for Him, How would I feel, What would I say and most importantly How could I best honour him.
What is death?
We have all lost loved ones and at some point asked ourselves this and if you have not asked yourself this at some point you will and at some point you should? All the faiths have different understandings about what happens after death, However all faiths have a common belief that the soul is everlasting and continues after death.
It continues after death so what matters is how we live our lives day by day and when I was looking at my dads life I realised, that yes He had ups and downs but He lived His life always on the go. As we move forward in our lives from now, let us keep this in mind, let us remember that His soul still is, let us remember this for ourselves, so we mourn not for Him but rather smile with Joy from the heart when we think of Him.
When I got the news on saturday night, it came through in one dose a request asking for prayers for Him as He was in serious condition and then a message straight after that saying your Father was dead. After reading the messages all I could do was go and kneel before the Icons of Jesus and Mary praying to The Holy Mother, The Mother of us all that she please please go and fetch Her child my dearest Father as we are all her children and keep Him safe, to which she replied - He Is safe.
So what can we take from all of this?
The greatest thing that comes from a situation such as this is introspection and seeing inside of yourself what He actually meant to you as a person?
For each person my Dad meant something different and sometimes we don't realise the depth of what he meant until we are forced to consciously look within, look within the heart.
For the heart is where the tears we are shedding come from and they are not tears of sadness but tears of love and joy for who He was and what He meant to all of us.
On Sunday night as I was sitting discussing all the emotions about this and what had happened I turned to the person with me as realised something deep within my heart and said to really honour my Dad, I will come as I am for that is what He always wanted from me to be who I am and be proud of it. Follow your heart, follow your dreams and go for it with all your heart and soul. It was then that I realised that the greatest gift He gave me was sincerity. Sincerity towards myself and Sincerity towards others.
It was something that everyone always said about Him that He could walk into a room and light it up, talk here and there and everyone would respond and this was because He was sincere, and in my life this is one of His greatest gifts that He passed onto me and I thank you for that Gordie. Yes He made mistakes and yes He did not always get it right however whenever I needed Him he was always there for me even at 2am when I needed a lift home, He was always there for me teaching me to make sincere choices and actions letting me learn as I went along.
Gordie all I can say is I am proud to be your son and I thank you from all my heart for all you did for me and for all you gave me, which is why when I heard the news I dropped everything and flew back I did this so that I can pay my final respects to you and honour you as my father and as you deserve. Gordie in the last few years as I travelled I know we could not be physically close but I always thought of you and when we got the chance we talked and met up.
The one question He always asked me when we got together was are you happy with the path you have chosen to walk, and when I said Yes all He said was good no more no less about it
Through Gods Grace I managed to talk with Him during the His last week after His final operation after He had come out of ICU. This was the last conversation I had with Him, it was a beautiful talk that ended with the words I love you from both of us. Now when I look back I thank the Lord that I was able to chat with You one last time and end our last conversation on that note bringing completion to our lives together in this life.
It ended the way we started with LOVE
Someone very close to me wrote these beautiful words when I informed Him that my dad had passed and I would like to share them with you as I know Gordie that you are being looked after up in Heaven:
"Dear I am sorry to hear that, may His soul be at peace and Divine Mother will look after Him"
So let us not mourn but rejoice and this reminds me of a beautiful story of the Christian Saint Philippe Neri. The Saint had just passed and the entire village in Italy was in terrible sadness and mourning at this great loss, when a young boy suddenly started running around the village yelling He is in Heaven now, He is Heaven now, lets us rejoice Paradiso, Paradiso. To which the people realised that His soul has gone to heaven and instead of mourning they started rejoicing.
I ask you what greater thing could we wish then to know they have gone to heaven and I promise all of you sitting here my dad is in Heaven, so let us rather rejoice for the person He was, and for the fact that He as gone to heaven and is with the Blessed Mother and Father.Let our souls be free with this love and happiness so He can look down on us and see us rejoicing in His honour.
In the words of Frank Sinatra Let us remember Him one last moment
And Now Gordie the end is here
You faced the final curtain
Dad Ill say it clear for all here to understand
And state your case of which I am certain
You lived a life that was full
You travelled many Highways along the way
But Dad You did it your way
Regrets I am sure you had a few
But really to few to mention
There where times I know that you bit off more than you could chew
But no matter what, even when there was doubt
You ate it up and spat it out
You faced it all and you stood tall
You loved,
You laughed
and You you cried
You had your fill of loosing
And as our tears subside Gordie
We know you did all that, not in a shy way
But Gordie in your special way
You said the things you truly felt and lived what you felt
And Gordie the record shows that yes you took the blows from life
But above all else you did it your special way You did it the way of Gordon Frazer Van Notten. You did it so I can stand Here and say Gordie I am proud of you, proud that you were my father and I will always love you
So To Finally to end off I ask you to close your eyes now for a moment and pray with me and as we pray look within your hearts and find this love and let us send this love to Him:
Oh Blessed Mother, on the Cross your Blessed and glorious Son entrusted all of mankind to you as Your children and you as our Mother. Oh Mother of all, one of your children Gordon Van Notten has decided to return home and we pray and entreat you to care for your child Blessed Mother guiding Him by the hand back to our Saviour Jesus.
And Mother I pray that you help all those who mourn, not only here but around the world to find the love in their hearts, for this love will help them to transform their sadness into happiness helping the the souls that have passed on, this love will nourish and help all of them.
In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit
Kyrie Eleison
Kyrie Eleison
Kyrie Eleison
Amen
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