Mr Family Friend

So a postage-stamp-quilt. for Mrs Family Friend, but although it had blue in it, it was more girly than couple orientated.  What to do ?

football player

Answer, make him a cross stitch to commemorate his favourites sport and one time profession.  His wife mentioned that she was putting together memory album  with all the information from his time as a professional football player.  That gave me the focus, and I made the sepia footballer shown here.

I like sepia it lends a timeless quality to an image.

Martin with his card.

Update 2021, It is nice to be important but it is important to be nice. That's the way the couplet goes.

This is my friend Martin who passed away in his sleep last night due to the debilitating effects of Alzheimers.

Martin was and indeed is important to a lot of people, my family and I included, because he was nice. Not in an insipid lukewarm nice but a deep down in the bones dependable there when you needed him every letter in capitals NICE!

This world is immeasurably better for his having been here, for all the lives he enriched with his presence, his honesty, his delightful sense of humour and most of all his infectious joy.

Joy in his beautiful soulmate Anne, in his talented children and loving grandchildren. Joy in the gospel he embodied, in singing, in football and yes in cracker worthy jokes.

I already miss him yet being Martin he comforts me still with the memories of the lessons he taught me throughout my life, a few in classrooms and talks on a Sunday but the most important he taught in the way he lived his life. Even when I saw him last and his voice was no longer his own to command he taught love within the warm clasp of his hand and the words in his eyes

alzheimers.org.uk

A little update in 2024 came across this song and although it is probably about romantic love, the words spoke to me about the way this terrible condition steals away memories from one person making them both precious and bitter to those who can still recall. It steals so much more that memories. And as much as you think you can understand it from the outside of a relationship, you don't really. And now that it is closer to home I sadly understand a little bit more.