5 August 2017

Fifth

It's August 5th. My father, Philip, was born on this day in 1914. It was the day that our newspapers first announced that Britain had entered World War One. He lived for sixty five years, enjoying just one year of retirement before he suffered heart failure and died. If he were still alive he would have been 103 years old today.

It's August 5th. My oldest brother, Paul Philip, was born on this day in 1947. He lived for sixty two years, dying peacefully in his sleep one workaday morning in 2010. He never got up for work again. They say it was a previously undiagnosed heart problem that got him but I think it may have been a blood clot related to a hip replacement he had to have following a fall at work two years before. He would have been seventy today.

It's August 5th. My son Ian Philip should have been born on this day in 1984 but he decided to enjoy the comfort of his mother's belly for another eight days before his joyous arrival into our world. Ian is still very much alive and looking forward to the publication of the "Bosh!" plant-based recipe book that he and his mate Henry have been working upon like Trojans in the past three months. He will be 33 years old next weekend.

These are the three men that have meant the most to me. All special and gifted in their own ways. All three - lovers of life. I think about each of them every day.

38 comments:

  1. We tend to remember these anniversaries. My parents were born in your father's time. My dad in 1912 and my Mom in 1914.

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    1. Some dates are etched in our hearts like tattoos.

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  2. How interesting that your dad and brother had the same birthday and it was Ian's "due date". You speak so warmly of them all, it's lovely.
    My own dad was also an August 5th baby, he is 77 today.

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    1. Wish your dad a happy birthday from me. Cherish him.

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  3. Precious, cherished memories...memories that will never diminish...those we love remain always secure in our heart and in our thoughts.

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    1. Yes. There is a sense in which they never die.

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  4. You have strong family bonds; it makes anniversaries hard, but it's worth it. And of course you have your son, alive and vibrant, to help balance the missing of the ones who are gone.

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  5. Summer babies are always the best - I was born 4th July 1947, so I'm a month older than your brother.

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    1. I think you will find that autumn babies are the best Derek.

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  6. What lovely associations for you on August 5th! I can feel the pride you have in your son, your father, and your brother. Hugs to you, Neil.

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  7. Sad that your dad and brother died so young. (I shall be looking out for that book, I love Bosh recipes.)

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    1. They did die young and of course it makes me and my other two brothers think about our mortality perhaps more than we should.

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  8. I like the sound of that recipe book - more details please.

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    1. Highlight this link and click:-
      https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosh-Cookbook-Ian-Theasby/dp/000826290X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

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  9. A wonderful tribute to your father, brother, and son (note use of the Oxford comma). August 4th is the birthday of our son-in-law and August 28th is the day my father-in-law died, two late additions to the list of dates I always remember, and the only ones in August. My wife is not good at remembering dates but they stick in my mind.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Bob and thanks for calling by again.

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  10. If you are able, make sure we are on the page with the cookbook. I love cookbooks of all kinds.
    :)
    Tom

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  11. Sorry, I didn't see your previous reply.
    Tom

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    1. Also go here Tom:-
      https://www.facebook.com/bosh.tv/
      My son and his friend Henry didn't look for a book deal. The publishers came to them.

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  12. I think this happens often in families. Our eldest son was born on Tom's (my husband) birthday, 23rd December. Not a good time to have a birthday being so close to Christmas.
    I hope you have been well checked up regarding the heart problem knowing that your Dad and Brother were affected.
    Briony
    x

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    1. I haven't had my heart checked out Briony. Perhaps I should. I am not ready to die quite yet.

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  13. How wonderful that they all share the same date in one way or another and mean so much to you. If that's not fate, I don't know what is.

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    Replies
    1. Co-incidence can often seem strange and slightly unnerving.

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  14. Three august men in your life and kinfolk too!

    Alphie

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    1. Clever reminder that "august" isn't just the name of a month.

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  15. A very meaningful day for you. When is your birthday?
    I was Born on the day 100 years after one of my great-grandfathers. He was Long gone by then, but I like the idea of this Kind of continuity.
    My personal most poignant anniversary is of course the 5th of November. This year, it will be 8 years since Steve died. He would have turned 50 next year.

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    1. In England there's a children's rhyme... "Pleased to remember/ The fifth of November..." connected with Bonfire Night. My birthday is October 8th.

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  16. Three august men in your life and kinfolk too!


    หีฟิต

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    1. Hang on Roth - Are you a parrot? That's what Alphie Soup said! Please go away!

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  17. Funny that your dad and brother (and almost son) shared the same birthday. What are the odds? So sorry to hear about your brother. It's scary when something like that befalls someone relatively young.

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    1. He was a special man. I blogged about his death in late June/early July 2010 if you are interested Steve.

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  18. Anonymous1:36 am

    I didn't know lakes had tongues. I like the bridge though. (I think the Thai visitors to our blog community are robots, I just mark as spam and delete.)


    ตารางคะแนนพรีเมียร์ลีก

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    1. Hahaha, THAT is a really witty comment, especially as it is so obviously coming from a Thai Robot!

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  19. Anonymous3:38 am

    Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the ...
    ตารางคะแนน

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  21. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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