In memoriam

This is a change from my usual financial blog.

My dad died a few days ago. It wasn’t unexpected, he has been in care with dementia and Alzheimer’s for 3 years, and has gradually been becoming less and less of the person he was. By the end there were only occasional flashes of the person he used to be.

So now, rather than visiting the old man in care who used to be someone I knew, I am grieving for the man he was. And realising – too late as always – what I’ve learned from him.

Like all of us, he was flawed, and made mistakes. But he also got many things right.

He was dedicated. It was part of the job of Northumbria Water to sample the reservoirs regularly for water quality, and as Head Chemist he took his fair share in that role. I remember him heading out onto the Pennines despite the winter snow to collect samples.

I always knew that he would be there if I needed him; he was the safety net of life. He might tell me I was a bloody idiot for getting into the situation, but he’d always help me out of it. He always fulfilled his responsibilities as a father.

He taught me the importance of striving for excellence, although I had to disassociate that from his perfectionism that meant he always saw his shortcomings rather than his successes.

He taught me to do the best I can with who I am.

Find more on my website: www.attainmenttraining.co.uk. Sign up to my regular newsletter.