I never knew I knew him.
Today I attended the funeral of my brother-in-law’s dad. He was described as a simple man. Resilient. Hardworking. Kind. Loving. His first job in the small wheatbelt town in southern WA was a postie. Then overnight worker in the local telephone exchange. Then eventually he started up his own business as a landscape gardener - building a reputation for gardening awards and customer service - making sure their gardens were tip-top for family events. He could be opinionated, but always left room for a second chance, and always up for a chat. After the service my sister mentioned how a work-colleague visited town to support the family and brought her locally based parents to the service. Her dad walks in and sees the photo, ‘hey, I knew that guy.’ That’s an enviable epitaph if you ask me. To be unexpectedly known.
