I found out last night that a dear friend of mine passed away on Saturday.
I adored Dan. Like all friends, we had our ups and downs but he emailed me regularly after I moved here and I loved his catch ups. His emails were always positive and full of hope for a better tomorrow. He had his struggles and that positivity made me smile when I read his words.
So, what will I remember when I think back on Dan?
I will remember the good and the bad but I will focus on the good.
I will remember how frustrated he got when you sang 'lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli, lollipop' because he would then pop his finger in his cheek and start singing it for the day. He had a similar reaction to the 'Shop shop song'. I sang both a lot.
He loved music and would play tunes on his busted up laptop all day long. He would lie back on his chair, light a cigarette and relax. It was he who introduced me to Serge Gainsbourg. Sometimes, when he wasn't in too much pain, we would dance around the living room. I loved it.
We reread all the Roald Dahl books together. His favourite was 'Danny, Champion of the World' because they shared the same name. We laughed for hours at the dialogue in 'James and the Giant Peach' and he got so excited when he realised Esio Trot was 'tortoise' spelt backwards.
He once went to the supermarket across the road from our house. It was do close you could see it from our garden. He arrived home an hour later with no shopping. I asked where his food was, and replied that he had gotten lost and kept ending up at the pet shop. My friend Donagh was with me and we literally howled with laughter.
He loved sport and was an avid fan of all sports shows. In the space of an hour he would go through every known emotion. It was generally more riveting than the game itself!
He spent a Christmas with me and James. It was a great day. We both feasted on Brussels Sprouts and spent hours playing Mario kart. It was such a good day and I was happy to share it with him and his father.
I could keep going on for hours.
He had his struggles and his difficulties.
This is not the time nor the place to talk about it.
Wherever he is now, I hope he is in a less painful place.
Such a young life, such a gentle soul.