The last weekend with Daniel. February 14th - 16th 2014. Rose I’m sure was always smiling down at her Daniel when he visited our family… Daniel’s last visit on Friday February 14th this year was normal just like every other visit. He was relaxed, excited and was just happy spending time with all of us for the weekend. Daniel would come stay for the weekend, with dad and mum usually picking him up after School on Friday afternoon. Daniel was very active and loved playing soccer in mum and dad’s backyard, playing table tennis, handball, Lego, X Box games, watching movies, pretty much all the things that a normal 11 year old loves doing. A lot of the time he was just content being at mum and dad’s place so he could fit in as much as possible with the time he had with us. We always made sure that we would have dinners together as a family on those weekends, more than likely one of nunno’s famous barbecues or nunna’s pasta. Daniel loved his food….specially Nunna’s food. Daniel would also talk often about the ‘other’ people in his life, on the other side of his family, of which we always listened in a happy encouraging fashion and spoke to him in a positive way about them. On the Sunday as he would get close to going home, he would ask for how long he had left and often would say, “I wish I could stay longer “. Daniel is a sensitive, soft hearted, nice natured, determined and strong spirited boy. Traits given to him from Rose, we would often laugh of how he would remind us of her in the things he’d say and do. I’ll share more of those funny stories in the future. Talking about snapshots, I remember a Sunday morning in 2013 when mum and I took Daniel to Parklea markets, in Sydney’s West, he liked going there often. We were having some lunch and there was a guy playing trumpet and singing, entertaining everyone. All of a sudden this man started playing “What a Wonderful World” from Louis Armstrong. Rose sang this in her duo work and somehow Daniel connected with that. He went quiet and mum and I looked at each other and she left the table to hide her sadness. Daniel started getting red eyed and teary. He made me teary just watching him. I said to him, “ Daniel it’s ok to be sad, don’t worry, we all miss mum, and yes I know you miss mum, that’s ok, you’re allowed to be sad…we all cry and miss mum alright bello.” He just looked at me and nodded. I gave him a hug…. That was a moment I’ll never forget. It was really sad but beautiful at the same time, if you know what I mean, seeing this little boy reaching out and sharing his feelings. On the morning of Sunday 16th February 2014, his last weekend visit, Caitlin and I took Daniel out for breakfast, we chatted, laughed about the impending close arrival of his little cousin baby Luca and he was happy. (In the months prior, he would often stroke her tummy to feel the bubby moving). We came back home and he wanted to do some craft and paint, so we did, I helped him choose the colours and we bonded and had a wonderful time. In the afternoon back at mum’s place he asked mum if he could see his cousin Sebastian next time he came over and he chatted to mum about going to somewhere special, the Hogsbreath café, for his next birthday . Mum said of course Daniel, wherever you’d like to go. He also asked if mum and dad could come to his next grandparents day at school in March April and stay for lunch….mum said yes of course Daniel . We finished the afternoon by playing with a ball in the loungeroom, me, mum, dad and Daniel, all having fun like young kids! He was giggling and laughing and having a great time with his grandparents. That was his favourite game in the loungeroom….! At 5pm the door bell rang, Daniel left giving us hugs and kissing us all goodbye. That was the last time we all saw Daniel….. A few weeks later in early March of this year, our little boy Luca was born. Unfortunately Daniel has never been allowed to meet his new cousin. I tend to think that the timing is quite coincidental. I’ll let you guys make your own mind up on that one…. My son Luca is another branch of the family for Daniel to bond too, a first cousin, how sad that the people in Daniel’s life today don’t allow him to be surrounded by all the love from his maternal family who just simply want to be part of his life. Rose never wanted this for her son Daniel…….she told us many times in the last months to be there for Daniel. And that we are. ( Pictured, the little painting he did with me on Feb 16th ).
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 07:50:34 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015