I recently lost another cousin to suicide (23/01/24)
I didn’t know how else to open this post. In the space of a year I lost two cousins Dean (32) and Johnny (41) (08/07/23) and the year before that my uncle Mick (49) (02/01/22). All to addiction/suicide.
I’ve been processing a lot and I’ve never been great with verbalising how I feel. All three of them had a significant impact on my life. In my grieving I made art. All three of these people were the funniest people in the room. The life and soul of the party, the pranksters, the ability to make anyone feel seen, heard and loved.
For my uncle Mick I made a painting of stars, he got me my first telescope and taught me about constellations and how vast space really is. He was also my mums best friend, not just her brother.
For Johnny I wrote a song, when my mum was working he would look after us and he taught me how to play the drums and guitar, there was nothing he loved more than music, making up songs with Uncle Mick and smoking.
For Dean I wrote a poem. Dean was soft and warm with a wild side when you got to know him. He sure knew how to party. Dean loved his family and his three beautiful baby girls. He always said being a dad was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
An Ode to Dean
We will remember your smile
How it shined so bright
Wherever you went
You brought life
Full of laughter, full of light
Even though your life at times
Was not how you had planned
It never made you any less of a man
Life had other plans for you
Challenges more than one
We all wish this was a battle
That you could have won
Bold and warm just as the sun
Your darkest days are now done
Up there now with Johnny and Mick
Surprised to be meeting you so quick
And just like the sun
As the light leaves this day
We all now know
Nothing gold can stay
- By Y.O. with love.
