My Father Edgar Edward Samuel Grimes

My dad passed away on the 10-10-2004 at the age of 84 and apart from finally feeling the dearest love I have ever felt for my father or anyone for that matter comes my total undivided respect for him I was also relentlessly proud of his personal achievements, because of this I decided to register this site to celebrate his life and my fondest memories of him and to make this an everlasting and personal memorial to his passing.

Me and my father had a really, really long journey, a lot of things were said and not said over time because I did not understand him or his ways in my youth, and some parts are not a pretty story, but as a message of understanding to all teenagers out there and their fathers, it's hard work but in my view was worth that trek across time to discover someone of this calibre that was my dad, Some things he instilled in me as a child are part of my tools I use every day, others he did not get quite right (but hay! No-one tells you how to bring up your children), he was strict and showed his love in strange ways I could not understand as a child but adore him for as an adult because this made him the unique person he was, I want to thank you dad for being my father I will love you eternally.

I think this is an ongoing saga as my son has these feelings about me now and so much time is wasted through misunderstandings, we forget as adults how sensitive a child is, how they read our body talk and react to something that we as adults bear little regard to? A few words we say as a joke, or maybe a phrase can seriously impact a Childs vision of us, it can be the most simplest things like; dad having a really bad day! I know my dad loved me now and always did and as god is my witness I truly love him but as I said that is part of my story here and how I managed to get to that point through some pretty rough times.

One of our strengths as human beings is the capability of understanding and forgiveness; no parent gets it 100% right, most parents love their children and we all have the capability of losing our way through the maze of life itself, and let's face it most children are not born little angels either! I personally know I was quite a little horror (especially in my teens) but through it all I think I have become a very balanced individual with a little hard work on myself, So for now this message goes out to all the teen rebels out there, all those who think they are always right, an apt saying would be as quoted by my mother:

"Oh what a gift that God could give us to see ourselves as others see us"

What a gift indeed! I am not proud of some of my imperfections and yes teens we all have them, but also your dad has them too even your mum will have a few, life is much too short to waste on tit for tat where loved ones and blood kin need you so always try to look on the other side, evaluate a whole story and complete the task as a father is a much too costly price to pay for a misunderstanding, I feel so lucky for both me and my dad my part to really know this great person in my life.

Love you dad

Paul