Posted by Tania Kindersley.
I think I'm in that crazy time where I believe that if I can put up enough pictures of him, he will not really be gone.
He's the fellow on the far left. He is SMILING. No one smiles when going over steeplechase fences at thirty miles an hour. Looking at that picture, taken some time in the early sixties, I think: he was almost certainly up dancing the night before. So the smile is because he is getting away with it.
I love the sequence of contrasting expressions, equine and human, in this photo. Your dad and his horse seem so serene; the more I look at it, the more surreal it is to know that this moment occurred during the thunder of a race. A flicker of Zen. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSome people leave the world much poorer when they go. The joy in your father's face when riding (that wonderful exultation when things are going RIGHT! and it is everyday magic...), the love in your words, that he has touched so many lives, so positively - he was one of those who make life richer.
ReplyDeleteHug the dogs, remember him well.
What a seat your dad had! Look at the other two riders/horses in the picture, at odds with one another. Your dad and horse are one. Picture him galloping across the Elysian Fields, grinning from ear to ear.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing these (incredible) photos and memories. What a man your father sounds like. How lucky you were to have such a man as your father.
ReplyDeleteAnd it sounds like he was also truly, truly blessed to have people in his life who loved and appreciated him. And not just 'after' - I feel I can say this because everything you've written about him that I've read has made me want to sit down for a drink with him.
Very sorry to hear of your father's death Tania. He sounds like he lived an extraordinary life. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing shot. He made it look effortless.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you T - and what a comfort it must be, I hope, that he was so well known and loved and he will be remembered by the many, not just the few. As Erika rightly says, hug the dogs and remember the good times. xxx
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts are with you. xx
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear of this. I lost my father 8 years ago-- one of the best friends I ever had-- and I can say now what you probably already know: that he will never really be gone. Thank you for the beautiful pictures and stories of him; I wish I could have been among the lucky people to have known him.
ReplyDeleteOh Tania, I'm so sorry to hear the news.
ReplyDeleteHe might physically be gone but memories mean more and they won't fade. It sounds as if there are an awful lot of people who will love and cherish every memory they have of such a wonderfully vibrant person.
Tania, I have just caught up with your posts and read your sad news, my heart goes out to you. These posts are a wonderful tribute to your Father and the photographs of him are beautiful. I agree with Alex, people will cherish your Fathers memory for decades to come.
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