Rona Newton-John with sister Olivia. Picture:
Getty Images
Whenever You're Away From Me
“…Then we will see you face to face, and in
your light we will see light and know the splendour of God, for you live and
reign for ever and ever” read the minister from the Rite of Commital book as he
blessed the grave. The congregation responded with a simple “Amen” and watched
as he proceeded to sprinkle the coffin with holy water and then waved incense
above it.
It was a beautiful summer’s day. Diana Shores
still couldn’t believe how many people had shown up at Forest Lawn Gardens to
pay their respects and show some support. She was pleased to note that everyone
had followed her and husband Bill’s wishes. There wasn’t a somber colour in
sight. Even her mother had donned a cheerful outfit. The line-up of family
members, friends and acquaintances standing by the grave, all brightly dressed,
reminded her of the last barbecue she and Bill had hosted in late spring before
the disease and subsequent treatment had put an end to their social life.
Diana loved summer. Most of her friends
complained about the heat and being dependent on air conditioning to get them
through a day’s activities. But to her, hot weather meant taking the kids to
the pool, early morning walks along the harbour with her best friend, Tess,
summer salads, ice cream, and weekend trips to the beach with the family.
Youngest daughter Jo had just turned seventeen.
She loved people, travelling and experiencing different cultures. From early
on, Jo had told her parents that she would one day get a job that would allow
her to see the world. Perhaps she’d become a journalist. She reminded Diana so
much of Bill, not just in the way she enjoyed sports or loved a good laugh. She
had a similar mischievous twinkle in her eye and shared her father’s passion
for camping. Jo wasn’t by any means a tomboy. She could be quite the little
lady at times. But she definitely was Daddy’s girl.
Claire, Jo’s older sister, was more like her
mother. An avid reader, she had spent hours as a child losing herself in
literature way beyond the maturity of her young years. She was also musically-gifted.
Just like Diana, she excelled at playing the piano. As she grew up, Claire
became interested in various causes. At first, driven by her innate sense of
justice, she had wanted to become a lawyer. Then, in her late teens, that
desire had been replaced with a new calling. Claire, now twenty-one, was
studying pathology and hoped to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
Bill and Diana were proud of the beautiful
young women their two daughters had become. They had always encouraged them to
pursue their dreams and follow their hearts, telling them never to compete with
anyone but themselves. All they really wanted was for their girls to be happy. “Be
true to yourself and you’ll never lose your way!” Bill had often reminded them.
He was always so disarming in the way he talked to them; so much warmth and
care in his voice.
Diana reflected a while on how much she was
going to miss Bill. They had been constant companions since university. He was
her best friend, a caring husband, a gentle lover, and a great father to their
children. Finding her soulmate and raising a family together with him meant
everything to her. She made sure Bill knew that and, shortly before the end,
reminded him again how much she loved him and always would. No regrets. As Diana
stroked Bill’s hair on that last day, she felt privileged to have shared a full
and rewarding life with him, a man whose kind personality had touched so many.
Now, being at the grave with her daughters,
Diana could feel the love flowing through the crowd. Everyone had tried to be
brave, holding back their tears as inspiring stories were imparted during the
service. One or two anecdotes even raised a laugh amongst the attendees. This
gathering was after all as much about celebrating life as it was about supporting
each other through grief.
Bill had handled breaking the news to his
children with utmost dignity, preparing them for the inevitable as best as he
could. Although his belief was that one never really got over losing a loved
one, he had no doubt that his kids were strong enough to cope with the
situation and that over time they would learn to live with their loss. He told
them that death wasn’t the end of the road and that they would all be reunited
one day.
As the coffin was lowered into the ground, the
minister pursued the service with another psalm.”…For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling: “This is my resting place for ever; here
have I chosen to live...”” Diana watched as the casket entered the grave knowing
that Bill was by her side. If only she could reach out and touch him, but she
knew that she couldn’t.
The minister cast soil on the grave and
began reciting the Lord’s Prayer. The congregation joined in, ending the
prayer with a collective “Amen”. “I will now ask Jo Shores to read the text
chosen by her and her sister Claire as a tribute to the deceased,” disclosed
the priest.
Jo, fiddling nervously with the pink ribbon
pinned to her blouse, looked hesitantly at her sister for a moment. She walked
over to the priest and turned to face the crowd, holding up a piece of paper
she had just pulled from her purse. She took a deep breath before speaking.
“Twenty-eight years ago, two university students met and fell in love. They
were inseparable from the word go. Dad called Mum his muse saying she made him
a better person and inspired him to become a better writer. Mum said she knew
at first glance that he was an artist and that she had found the one who was
going to colour her world. Little did she know she would end up with the entire
rainbow. Together they made beautiful
music. This is their song. “Whenever you’re away from me, wherever you go,
you’re never far away from me, I want you to know, I only have to close my eyes
dear, and suddenly I’m where you are, you better never stray, ‘cos I’ll never
be far away.””
Choked sounds rose from the crowd as a man broke
down in tears no longer able to hold back his pent-up emotion. As he wept,
Claire reached out and embraced him. She buried her head in his chest, holding
on to him tightly. Jo joined her sister wrapping her arms around the two of
them in a group hug and began to cry as well.
Diana came up behind the man and rested her
head on his shoulder but he didn’t notice her. She placed her lips to the man’s
ear, holding on to him and her daughters as best as she could. “You can’t
imagine,” she whispered to Bill, “just how much I’m going to miss all of you. I’ll
never be far away…” She pecked both of her daughters tenderly on the side of
the head, kissed her husband lovingly on the cheek and then was gone.
