Grief is such a heavy, devouring emotion that takes time to accept that the person's time on Earth has come to an end. Everyone deals with grief differently. It was wonderful to hear about how Simone's friends were working through their grief and hopefully their idea might help someone else out there going through a difficult time after losing someone they care about. I never knew Simone - but I remember hearing of her passing and thinking about how heartbreaking it must be for those around her. You could tell from the photos that she was a beautiful person both on the inside and outside, and she had found a sport that truly bought her happiness and had a daughter who she loved so deeply.
Thank you to Elise for sharing your story so bravely - what a beautiful way to remember your dear friend.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The realisation of Simone's death took some hours to sink in. It all hit home when I began remembering back to the last time we spoke, my favourite memories of her and the times we spent together - dressing up, singing, playing games, sleepovers and birthday parties.
A short time after her death, Simone's closest friends received a email from Ebony, with the idea of writing a letter to Simone's daughter Kodah for her to read as she grows up. It would be our way to share our memories of Simone with Kodah, so that she would keep a clear vision of her mum, and the beautiful person that she was, forever in her mind. I wanted to share my letter with other people to tell them about Simone and what an amazing person she was.
So, here is my 'letter to Kodah'
Elise
Forever in my thoughts and never to be forgotten SM, CF and KM xxx
A letter to
Kodah
Two beautiful girls; Elise and Simone
Kodah, I have so many memories of your wonderful mum and I have
no idea of where to start! All I know is that every time I look to the night
sky, I can see her glowing star looking down on us all. She was an amazing
friend – so thoughtful and compassionate. I think why we got on so well was
because we were so much alike and as silly as each other most of the time!
“You will look back on the times you laughed and you
will cry. You will look back on the times you cried, and you will laugh. You
will always remember close friends, and you will always keep memories of them
in your heart.”
Even though we never saw a lot of each other in her last few
years, it still felt like old times when we caught up! Most of our conversations
were about the mischief we would get up to when we were younger. At the Chilpanunda
farm ‘Wallaby Hill’ we would regularly have dancing and singing competitions
with Kelly and Brooke to ‘Roxette’ and only Roxette – no other music was
allowed! We would quickly get sick of Roxette, find another cassette tape
player and blare our own music singing ‘Hey Mona.’ This was no doubt our
favourite song of all time, I was just so disappointed ‘Fur Elise’ didn’t have
lyrics! Every Sunday we would all go to Pony Club. I never even had a horse but
we would be there anyway! Melissa was usually there too but we would spend more
time building cubby houses in the scrub. I think our Dad’s (Greg and Pop) just
saw it as another excuse to have a chin wag and a beer together and Sunday
morning Pony Club’s would often turn into Sunday afternoon and evening Pony
Club!
Simone and her beautiful daughter Kodah
Your mum was so gullible! She would believe any story you told
her! Actually we were probably as gullible as each other and would play tricks
on each other quite often. We would both say things without thinking first. At
times, we were the laughing stock of the cousins and friends. I still often
have a ‘Simone moment’ as we have come to call them! I’m not sure that she made
jokes on purpose; they just seemed to be accidental ‘blonde’ moments!
I actually can’t believe how much you are like your mum to look
at – you are just a spitting image! Your ‘show no teeth’ smile, dark eyes,
eyebrows and hair. I think you might be a little cheekier than your mum was
though!
Isn't Simone just absolutely stunning!
“Simone
is a girl who is fun to be around and talk to and has a good sense of humour
and loves to make jokes. She can be quiet sometimes but it doesn’t mean she
isn’t up for having fun. She is practically the best person in the world.”
I probably spent the most time with your mum when Pop, Nana and the girls moved to Port Lincoln. My
family had moved to Cummins not long after that, so it was nice to head down to
Lincoln after school on Fridays to catch up with Simone and your aunties.
Simone and I were always fashion stylists and we would dress up Luke and Mardi.
Kelly would just hassle us to play the ‘Sale of the Century’ board game with
her! Ebony was also living in Port Lincoln at this time, so our Saturday nights
or Sunday drives often ended up resulting in a catch up with the Feltus and
Mont Families.
We also had a lot more fun times when they all moved to Ungarra.
We were at their Ungarra farmhouse one Sunday, and Pop had just put up some
electric fences for his racehorses.
Simone told me the electric fence wasn’t turned on, and of course I
believed her! As I climbed through the fence to pat the horse, the fence zapped
me on my hands when I grabbed it and then on the inside of my leg! She laughed
the hardest I think I can ever remember her laughing. Since then I have always
been extra careful around fences, especially electric ones!
A family adventure down the River Murray as kids.
A favourite memory of mine was when we went on a houseboat along
the River Murray, from Morgan to Waikerie. I was 18 so Simone would have been
about 16. Then there was Dillon (15), Mardi (14) Luke (14) and Cameron (12) and
all of our parents – Jeff, Rosalie, Greg, Debbie, Peter and Lee-Anne. You will
have to ask Nana and Pop to show you some photos. They will have a story or two
to tell you about this holiday I am sure!
Kodah, your mum will never be forgotten - a life taken too soon, a
tragedy that we could have never predicted happening. She will always be your
beautiful, caring and loving mum. She was compassionate, considerate and a
loyal friend to all. I loved growing up with your mum. She was a breath of
fresh air; a joy to be around. I hope to see many of her qualities in you as
you grow up into an amazing young lady. There’s a song that says ‘Only the good
die young’. If we were changing the words to suit your mum it would have to say
‘Only the extraordinary die young’!
Elise xx
Friends
are like stars, they come and go.
Grief is such a heavy, devouring emotion that takes time to accept that the person's time on Earth has come to an end. Everyone deals with grief differently. It was wonderful to hear about how Simone's friends were working through their grief and hopefully their idea might help someone else out there going through a difficult time after losing someone they care about. I never knew Simone - but I remember hearing of her passing and thinking about how heartbreaking it must be for those around her. You could tell from the photos that she was a beautiful person both on the inside and outside, and she had found a sport that truly bought her happiness and had a daughter who she loved so deeply.
Thank you to Elise for sharing your story so bravely - what a beautiful way to remember your dear friend.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The realisation of Simone's death took some hours to sink in. It all hit home when I began remembering back to the last time we spoke, my favourite memories of her and the times we spent together - dressing up, singing, playing games, sleepovers and birthday parties.
A short time after her death, Simone's closest friends received a email from Ebony, with the idea of writing a letter to Simone's daughter Kodah for her to read as she grows up. It would be our way to share our memories of Simone with Kodah, so that she would keep a clear vision of her mum, and the beautiful person that she was, forever in her mind. I wanted to share my letter with other people to tell them about Simone and what an amazing person she was.
So, here is my 'letter to Kodah'
Elise
Forever in my thoughts and never to be forgotten SM, CF and KM xxx
A letter to
Kodah
|
| Two beautiful girls; Elise and Simone |
Kodah, I have so many memories of your wonderful mum and I have
no idea of where to start! All I know is that every time I look to the night
sky, I can see her glowing star looking down on us all. She was an amazing
friend – so thoughtful and compassionate. I think why we got on so well was
because we were so much alike and as silly as each other most of the time!
“You will look back on the times you laughed and you
will cry. You will look back on the times you cried, and you will laugh. You
will always remember close friends, and you will always keep memories of them
in your heart.”
|
| Simone and her beautiful daughter Kodah |
As I write you this letter, I am laughing about the funny
memories of times we had together as youngsters but at the same time I am
crying because I realise that we won’t be able to make any more memories
together or talk about them even more. The last time I saw your mum was at
Travis & Kelly’s wedding and when I was living in Northern Territory before
that. You were just a very little girl! It was when you were and mum were
living at the Caravan Park with Nana and Pop. She was so happy to have moved to
Darwin to start riding again and to have Pop and Nana close by to look after
you when she was working.
Your mum was so gullible! She would believe any story you told
her! Actually we were probably as gullible as each other and would play tricks
on each other quite often. We would both say things without thinking first. At
times, we were the laughing stock of the cousins and friends. I still often
have a ‘Simone moment’ as we have come to call them! I’m not sure that she made
jokes on purpose; they just seemed to be accidental ‘blonde’ moments!
I actually can’t believe how much you are like your mum to look
at – you are just a spitting image! Your ‘show no teeth’ smile, dark eyes,
eyebrows and hair. I think you might be a little cheekier than your mum was
though!
|
| Isn't Simone just absolutely stunning! |
“Simone
is a girl who is fun to be around and talk to and has a good sense of humour
and loves to make jokes. She can be quiet sometimes but it doesn’t mean she
isn’t up for having fun. She is practically the best person in the world.”
I probably spent the most time with your mum when Pop, Nana and the girls moved to Port Lincoln. My
family had moved to Cummins not long after that, so it was nice to head down to
Lincoln after school on Fridays to catch up with Simone and your aunties.
Simone and I were always fashion stylists and we would dress up Luke and Mardi.
Kelly would just hassle us to play the ‘Sale of the Century’ board game with
her! Ebony was also living in Port Lincoln at this time, so our Saturday nights
or Sunday drives often ended up resulting in a catch up with the Feltus and
Mont Families.
We also had a lot more fun times when they all moved to Ungarra.
We were at their Ungarra farmhouse one Sunday, and Pop had just put up some
electric fences for his racehorses.
Simone told me the electric fence wasn’t turned on, and of course I
believed her! As I climbed through the fence to pat the horse, the fence zapped
me on my hands when I grabbed it and then on the inside of my leg! She laughed
the hardest I think I can ever remember her laughing. Since then I have always
been extra careful around fences, especially electric ones!
|
| A family adventure down the River Murray as kids. |
Kodah, your mum will never be forgotten - a life taken too soon, a
tragedy that we could have never predicted happening. She will always be your
beautiful, caring and loving mum. She was compassionate, considerate and a
loyal friend to all. I loved growing up with your mum. She was a breath of
fresh air; a joy to be around. I hope to see many of her qualities in you as
you grow up into an amazing young lady. There’s a song that says ‘Only the good
die young’. If we were changing the words to suit your mum it would have to say
‘Only the extraordinary die young’!
Elise xx
Friends
are like stars, they come and go.
No comments:
Post a Comment