Thanks everyone for your comments and prayers over the loss of my brother this week. I hope I can be there for you also in your dark valleys. Your comments on the last post are like flowers on his grave – much appreciated!
Well I have had some phone calls with the family in Australia. Here are pieces of news;
– Lewis, apparently, died of an accidental drug overdose. His body was found in a public toilet at a railway station. There were syringes, etc found with him. no reason to suspect suicide or foul play.
– Lewis’s son is Alex, born in March this year, and the spitting image of Lewis. He is cared for by the mother of Lewis’s ex-girlfriend, a lovely caring lady named Sue. Sue and her sister are organising the funeral. I guess i have more family than I knew about.
– Mum is doing a lot better. We talked. She said that she had been expecting it for a while, as did my sister Sarah. Actually, there have been a number of times when Lewis disappeared for years and we were surprised to hear of his reappearance.
– Dad, in a nursing home in QLD, is terribly upset. He gets to see Alex, his grandson, next week. He is eating again – thanks for your prayers.
– The funeral is still to be arranged – perhaps in a week or two. I am looking into flights.
– Bruce Stuart, my brother-in-law, is taking care of things on the Perth side, where my Mum and 2 sisters live. Bruce is not only my brother-in-law, but he is also the best grief counselor i have ever met. You remember that they were with us in Prague for a while. He is now running a counseling service in Perth for the business community – AccessCorporateCommunications.com, and has been hounded all year by a church to be their lead pastor – something that will probably happen in a few months. Anyway, its really nice to have Bruce there. Thanks!
– I am still deeply saddened, but at the same time, i am appreciating being in the Land of the Living, with my family and friends. And that includes you.
We’re praying for you. I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but I can pray.
May God comfort not only you but all who mour with you. May His angels emcamp around you as you go to Sydney. May He provide for all your needs while you are away. May He take care of all that you leave behind. May you feel His presence in a real and personal way. May He take you in His arms and give you a long sweet “Daddy Hug”. May you find rest and peace in Him as you go through this loss.
very sorry to hear about your brother and glad that it seems you and your family are handling it all extremely well.
I also LUV the new image you have as the header of your blog. Seeing the shadow of your little hatted head in the corner brings a smile to my face.
lewis sounds like people i know and love very much. i hope also that he is relieved of his dark past and living in
the land of the living.
its not everyone who can be so free to be openly passionate – i admire those who can..its aslo fine to
weep hard in private.
Andrew, I just caught up with your weblog. We were really saddened to hear about your brother. It was nice to read your kind words about him.
i too just caught up, and i am so sorry andrew. so young. my heart grieves that there is one less tall skinny kiwi in this world. you and your’s will be in my prayers.
I am too late for a lot of things….
too late to catch you in London (where I will be at the end of November)….
Too late to read about your brother and send at least an electronic hug, even though I can ´t send a Hack in person… ; – ) (hope you get the pun…you will…you are clever!)…
Have been busy those past weeks…my first real book “Swing. Lebe im Rhythmus der Schoepfung” (Swing. Living in the rhythm of creation), the one about the pattern for live we find in creation has come out recently…in German…sorry…
I am still looking for an English language publisher…but with only 2 % of all books sold in America originating outside the US it ´s kind of a challenge…hope they will catch it before it ´s too late…
Well…I actually just wanted to say “Hi” and send blessings over to all of you…kind of missing you and thinkkig it is stupid that I am missing you….
Andrew
With a father about to die (within the week they say) in an Alzheimer’s care unit, my heart is heavy with the thoughts of family. He is ready — more than we are. I lost my oldest brother several years ago and know what that hole in the heart feels like. Even thought this is so very late — hugs from across the pond to you, brother.