Sometimes you find one person in your life who influences you more than anything, who truly does help create who you are. For me, that man was one Kevin Robert Gibbons, who was born on 4 June 1955 and died on 3 September 2007.
Kevin Gibbons was my father, and a good man. He loved his friends above all else, and his extended family, through his cousin Christine and her children. And of course through me, his only daughter, and my brother and sister. Even though they werent his children, and he never even lived with them, he treated Jake and Tania like his own, never judged them for anything, was always so proud of them.
He loved fishing, and swimming, and being outdoors. he was a happy man, always had a smile on his face and a laugh in his eye. He had his problems, but he never let them bring him down, prefering to make his way onwards and upwards, always striving to make others happy.
He was one of the few people I ever met who could name every bird, animal, tree and other plant you might pass, and he took pride in that. He taught me so much over the years, and I will never, not until the day I die, forget him.
Sometimes I wonder, would he be proud of who I am now. And I know the answer. I know that no matter what I did he would always be proud, because I was his daughter, and everything I ever did made him happy. He loved that I was a musician, loved that I showed some interest in what he loved most. But at the same time, he loved that I was my own person too, apreciated my passion for reading, writing and the arts.
He was illiterate, he never learned to read, but that never hindered him in his life. He had a few people who he trusted to help him fill out forms, and he loved nothing better than to sit with me of an evening while I read to him from whatever book we happened to be reading at the time. He always loved the fantasy novels best, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings being two of his all time favourites. He had them on cassette, along with copies of the inheritance books, but he always prefered me to read the stories aloud to him.
He respected all the choices I, and anyone else made, and he didnt judge people. He took people on face value and loved them for who they are. He will never, ever be forgotten by those who knew him, and he will always be loved and held in our hearts.
At his funeral, we had a party as a wake, and at the end of the night my mother picked up the acoustic and started playing, and all 20 of us that were left stood up and started singing. And at the end, we all said goodbye. These are the lyrics we sang.
Another turning point a fork stuck in the road Time grabs you by the wrist directs you where to go So make the best of this test and dont ask why Its not a question but a lesson learned in time
Its something unpredictable but in the end is right I hope you have the time of your life
So take the photographs the still frames in your mind Hang them on a shelf of good health and good times Tatoos of memories and dead skin on trial For what its worth it was worth all the while
Its something unpredictable but in the end is right I hope you have the time of your life
Its something unpredictable but in the end is right I hope you have the time of your life
Kevin Robert Gibbons, 4 June '55 to 3 September '07
Even In Death May You Be Truimphant |