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Fresh heartache for Queen after third death in a month

<p><em>Image: Getty </em></p> <p>The Queen is mourning the loss of a close friend, the third to die in the span of a month.</p> <p>Racing journalist, trainer and author, Ivor Herbert, passed away aged 96 on January 5.</p> <p>British media reports Herbert was a longtime friend of the monarch and was a regular visitor to the Queen's Balmoral estate in Scotland.</p> <p>He also trained the winning horse of the 1957 Cheltenham Gold Cup and collaborated with Princess Anne on her 1991 book<span> </span><em>Riding Through My Life</em>.</p> <p>Herbert is the third close friend of the Queen to pass away in just over a month.</p> <p>Only four days after Christmas, Her Majesty's Lady-in-Waiting Lady Diana Farnham died aged 90.</p> <p>Lady Farnham served as the Queen's Lady of Bedchamber since 1987, and also attended events during the 2012 Diamond Jubilee service, when Prince Philip was unable to be there due to illness</p> <p>"It is very sad for the Queen," a royal source told The Telegraph "Everyone loved Lady Farnham, she was always so good humoured.</p> <p>"She was also a very glamorous and attractive woman. She was always very generous to new people joining the household.</p> <p>"It has not been a good year for the Queen — losing her husband and then the Duchess of Grafton and now Lady Farnham.</p> <p>"They were dear friends who supported the Queen on official duties."</p> <p>On December 5, the Queen lost her close confidant the Dowager Duchess of Grafton. The duchess was the second Mistress of the Robes of the Queen's reign and the most senior of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting.</p> <p>She and the Queen formed a close bond over the years and the duchess was by Her Majesty's side at countless official events and overseas royal tours.</p> <p>The Duchess of Grafton was appointed the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1980, an honour given by the monarch for services to the sovereign.</p> <p>The Queen became godmother to the duchess' second daughter in 1954.</p> <p>The loss of the Queen's close friends so closely together is surely another blow to what already has been a trying 12 months for the British royal family following the death of Prince Phillip, Prince Andrew's ongoing legal battles, Prince Harry and Meghan's verbal attacks against the family and her own health battles.</p>

Relationships

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“Absolutely devastated”: The Queen suffers fresh heartache

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Queen faces more heartache following the death of one of her two dorgi - Dachshund-Corgi cross - pups.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fergus was one of the pair of puppies given to the monarch to help cheer her up after Prince Philip first became ill.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She was said to be “devastated” when the five-month-old dog died over the weekend - just over a month following the death of her husband.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She walked Fergus and Muick most days in the grounds of Windsor Castle.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The pups were a surprise gift from her son, Prince Andrew, in February and they stayed by the Queen’s side while the Duke was in hospital.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The Queen is absolutely devastated,” a Windsor Castle insider said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The puppies were brought in to cheer her up during a very difficult period.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Everyone concerned is upset as this comes so soon after she lost her husband.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“On top of that there’s been problems with her grandson, Harry.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With insiders saying the Queen feared a trip hazard, many thought she had given up on owning new pets following the death of her corgi, Vulcan, last October.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fergus was named after the Queen’s uncle, Captain Fegus Bowes-Lyon, who died in 1915 as he led an attack on German lines at the Battle of Loos in France during WWI.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Muick - pronounced Mick and named after Loch Muick in Balmoral, Scotland - and older dorgi Candy will continue to keep the Queen company.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Candy is the last living descendent of corgi Susan who was given to the Queen on her 18th birthday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Buckingham Palace did not want to comment.</span></p>

News

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Russell Crowe shares devastating family heartache

<p><span>Russell Crowe has taken to social media to reveal that his father has died at the age of 85.</span><br /><br /><span>The New Zealand-born actor paid tribute to his “dear old man”, John Alexander Crow, writing: “I arrived back in the bush last night.</span><br /><br /><span>“Today, although the sun is shining and the torrential rain has abated, this date will forever be tinged with sadness. My dear old man, my beautiful dad, the most gentle of men, has passed away.</span><br /><br /><span>“I’m posting this because I know there are people all over the world who’s heart he touched and who’s ribs he tickled with his sparkly eyes and his cheeky attitude to everyone, and everything, and this is probably as efficient a method as any to pass on the news.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">I arrived back in the bush last night. <br />Today, although the sun is shining and the torrential rain has abated, this date will forever be tinged with sadness.<br />My dear old man, my beautiful dad, the most gentle of men, has passed away.</p> — Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) <a href="https://twitter.com/russellcrowe/status/1376772586978168834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>“John Alexander Crowe 13th March 1936- 30th March 2021 Born in Christchurch, New Zealand.</span><br /><br /><span>"Passed away in Coffs Harbour, NSW, his home for the last 25 years. Rest In Peace.”</span><br /><br /><span>Australian chef Julie Goodwin was one of the thousands of responses who paid tribute to Mr Crowe, writing: “I’m so sorry. Condolences to you and your family.”</span><br /><br /><span><em>Today</em> star David Campbell also left a message, saying: “Oh mate. So very sorry. Thinking of you.”</span><br /><br /><span><em>Studio 10’s</em> Angela Bishop chimed in, writing: I” am so sorry to hear this Russell. I was lucky enough to meet your Dad a few times. He was lovely, and his eyes did sparkle, just as you describe. Sending love and condolences to you and your family.”</span><br /><br /><span>Russell has an undeniable bond with his dad, revealing on Twitter last year in April, that he had been quarantining with him.</span><br /><br /><span>“Isolating with the old man. 84 now. Wearing a hat I got at Princeton while shooting A Beautiful Mind,” Russell wrote on Twitter at the time.</span><br /><br /><span>Speaking to Extra TV in June about quarantining with his parents, Russell said: "My mum and dad are pretty old now.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">John Alexander Crowe<br />13th March 1936- 30th March 2021<br /><br />Born in Christchurch, New Zealand.<br />Passed away in Coffs Harbour, NSW, his home for the last 25<br />years.<br /><br />Rest In Peace.</p> — Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) <a href="https://twitter.com/russellcrowe/status/1376772591558434816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>“My dad's 84 and my mum's 79 and they're suffering from the things people get at that age. You know, early-onset this and that. So it was just a better thing for me to be where they were.”</span><br /><br /><span>He also revealed the advice his father had given him about Hollywood, saying:</span><br /><br /><span>"Dad said to me one time because I spent my whole youth at university to study history ... [and] this little thing happened at the time when I left school and my dad lost his job and he just didn't have the money for me to go to university.</span><br /><br /><span>"He said to me, 'You've got have something to fall back on.' The standard cliche, right?</span><br /><br /><span>“I believed in my life there will be a lot of times where I fall on my face, but I will not be falling backwards. And he just accepted that and said, 'Righto, off you go.' The next 200 dads would've gotten in my way but he was like, 'OK.'"</span><br /><br /><span>John Crowe is survived by his wife Jocelyn, his two children Russell and Terry, and his grandkids, Charles, Tennyson and Spencer.</span></p>

News

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Cruise ship heartache: Little Chloe’s next step for justice

<p>The parents of a child who plunged to her death after suffering a 46-metre fall from a cruise ship window are suing for millions as they release the chilling picture of where she died.</p> <p>The toddler, Chloe Wiegand was in the hands of her grandad near to a window when she slipped.</p> <p>However, her heart-stricken family insist the blame lies with the “negligent” cruise line, which they are reportedly launching legal action against.</p> <p>The heartbreaking photograph taken of the tent covering the part of the deck that Alan and Kimberly Schultz’s baby girl died, was taken by a criminal investigator and is now being used in a negligence suit.</p> <p>They are reportedly accusing Royal Caribbean of breaching safety protocols and standards.</p> <p>The snap shows the view which Chloe’s grandad Salvatore “Sam” Anello had been balancing Chloe when he slipped and fell while the ship was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico.</p> <p>It also shows a partial space between the wooden railing that Mr Anello held his granddaughter and a large, glass window that could be completely opened.</p> <p>Mr Anello is facing up to six years behind bars after he was charged with criminal neglect – however Chloe’s parents are adamant the blame lies in the hands of the cruise ship.</p> <p>Mr and Mrs Schultz are sticking by their daughter’s grandfather, insisting nothing is worse than “what has already happened”.</p> <p>The family have reportedly filed a suit against Royal Caribbean to figure out why the 11th storey window was allegedly left open.</p> <p>It is reported the family will receive “unlimited” damages for “pain and mental suffering” if their claim is successful, as Chloe died on American soil and not in the high seas.</p> <p>The grieving family’s lawyer say it will be impossible to “put a figure” on their grief however, saying “four simple words – caution these windows open – and we wouldn’t be talking about his.</p> <p>“A sticker, a decal with the Royal Caribbean logo, anything, and Chloe is still with us.”</p> <p>The family will claim in court that little Chloe was being “closely supervised” by her granddad at the time of her death.</p> <p>They will further maintain Mr Anello was “unaware” one of the large panes of glass surrounding the ship’s 11th floor had been slid open when he carried his granddaughter over to the railings.</p> <p>The case alleges the window was the only one open “among dozens” and there was no clear indication that it had been opened.</p> <p>The lawsuit also claims there was a 46 cm gap between the wooden railing and the open window, which made it even more difficult for a horrified Mr Anello to reach over and grasp for his toddler as she plunged to her death.</p> <p>They also allege that Mr Anello being colourblind made hard for him to differentiate between the glass and the open window.</p> <p>Chloe’s family have insisted the toddler liked to bang on glass, just as she did when at her brother’s hockey games – which is why her grandad had sat her on the wooden railing.</p> <p>In November, it was reported there is video evidence that supports the grieving family’s claim that Mr Anello was unaware the window was open – a potential bombshell for both the case against her distraught grandad and the family’s Royal Caribbean suit.</p> <p>Royal Caribbean has refused to comment further but described Chloe’s death as a “tragic incident”.</p>

News

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Kelpie returns after two weeks of heartache

<p>A kelpie named Merlin has been found alive and safe two weeks after she fled her owner’s vehicle when it crashed and killed her owner. </p> <p>Simon Hannah’s family is in mourning ater his 4WD was T-boned by a Ford Ranger at around 11.15 am on September 16, near Eidsvold, in Queensland's North Burnett region, the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7524347/Kelpie-emerges-TWO-WEEKS-bolted-surviving-crash-killed-owner.html" target="_blank">DailyMail<span> </span></a>reported. </p> <p>The 34-year-old along with Merlin were the only two occupants in the car. </p> <p>Mr Hannah’s heartbroken stepfather David McDougall made pleas for help to get the loved kelpie back into safe hands. </p> <p>The fatal crash happened just metres from Eidsvold farmer Bill Kerle's property and took it upon himself to find Merlin.</p> <p>He managed to find paw prints leading away from the scene and tracked Merlin onto his property,<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-01/merlin-the-missing-dog-turns-up-after-a-fortnight-in-the-bush/11564308?sf220458724=1" target="_blank">ABC News </a></em>reported. </p> <p>As wild dogs are common in the area, Mr Kerle set up traps with pork steaks and soft bedding to capture the dog. </p> <p>On Tuesday morning, the farmer was pleased to find his plan had worked. </p> <p>“I nearly fell off my quad bike, I couldn't believe it,” he said.</p> <p>Mr Hannan’s mother Jan Hannah says she felt relief wash through her after receiving the call that the last link to her son had been found alive. </p> <p>“We're so thrilled to have his dog and know that she's safe and well,' she said.</p> <p>“We can't bring my son back but we can find his dog and we can make sure that she now has a good life.”</p> <p>The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the crash.</p>

Family & Pets

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Seconds before heartache: Heroic neighbour rescues boy from danger

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A family has been left counting their blessings after security footage revealed the seconds disaster struck for a 6-year-old boy playing with two other children. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The video shows three children playing at the bottom of a driveway in Texas, US, when one of the boys bent down to greet a dog that wandered over. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, when the young child leaned over, the dog launched and knocked him over before climbing on top of him. </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">PITBULL ATTACK: A teenager in Conroe, Texas, helped save his 6-year-old neighbor from a pitbull attack, drawing the animal away and allowing the boy to run for safety; both suffered bite wounds and the dog was reportedly taken by animal control. <a href="https://t.co/OFdgEGuLb9">https://t.co/OFdgEGuLb9</a> <a href="https://t.co/uc7sHT4poE">pic.twitter.com/uc7sHT4poE</a></p> — World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCWorldNews/status/1154783435585654784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2019</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The two other children ran towards their homes as the six-year-old struggled to overpower the dog – until thankfully, a neighbour intervened. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Springing into action, the dog lost interest in the boy and instead chases the man who successfully distracted hm. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Local news station </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">KHOU11 </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">identified the neighbour as Grant Brown, who suffered cuts to his hand in the ordeal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The dog ran away and the young victim was recorded running to safety in his home. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The canine was reportedly handed over to the city’s County Animal Control. </span></p>

Caring

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Royal heartache: Why the Queen felt “great sadness” over grandson Prince William

<p>There is no doubt the Queen and her grandson - as well as heir to the throne - Prince William would share a particularly special bond. </p> <p>The British monarch has been training the royal for his position to one day take the crown since he was just a teenager. </p> <p>However, the two were not always so close. </p> <p>Royal Biographer Ingrid Seward wrote about their complex relationship in her book<span> </span><em>My Husband and I: The Inside Story of 70 Years of the Royal Marriage.</em></p> <p>The 37-year-old is next in line to the throne after his father, Prince Charles and has been aware of his impending responsibilities since he was just 13-years-old. </p> <p>It was around this time when the breakdown of Prince Charles’ and Princess Diana’s marriage began. </p> <p>The couple would divorce in 1996 and not long after that, Princess Di’s explosive interview with BBC’s<span> </span><em>Panorama<span> </span></em>program which shared the inner details of the Royal family would air. </p> <p>In this documentary, the mother-to-two would admit she struggled to fit into the famous family. </p> <p>She was also asked if she thought Prince Charles would ever be kind to which she said:"I don't think any of us know the answer to that.</p> <p>"And obviously it's a question that's in everybody's head. But who knows, who knows what fate will produce, who knows what circumstances will provoke?"</p> <p>The royal went on to add: "There was always conflict on that subject with him when we discussed it, and I understood that conflict, because it's a very demanding role, being Prince of Wales, but it's an equally more demanding role being King.</p> <p>"And being Prince of Wales produces more freedom now, and being King would be a little bit more suffocating.</p> <p>"And because I know the character I would think that the top job, as I call it, would bring enormous limitations to him, and I don't know whether he could adapt to that."</p> <p>Princess Diana was later asked if the title of King should go directly to their eldest son, Prince William. </p> <p>"Well, then you have to see that William's very young at the moment, so do you want a burden like that to be put on his shoulders at such an age?” she said. </p> <p>“...I can't answer that question."</p> <p>Seward said the interview created fairs within the royal household that perhaps Princess Di was not giving her son the proper guidance and leadership to one day be King. </p> <p>"The one person who could help, who had to help, was the Queen," she wrote in the book. "She knew only too well what pressures William was facing. She told her advisers she feared he might crack up like his mother had."</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1YO2QMHXVv/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1YO2QMHXVv/" target="_blank">A post shared by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (@hermajestyqueenelizabethii_fan)</a> on Aug 20, 2019 at 1:11am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The Royal autobiographer said this is when the Queen began to have lunches with her grandson. </p> <p>"They talked in a way they never could have done before. One of her great sadnesses was that, until the separation, she had hardly seen him.”</p> <p>“Now, at last, she was able to do so on a regular basis and form a proper relationship.”</p> <p>"In this quiet intimacy, the Queen was able to impress upon William that the institution of the monarchy was something to be upheld and respected, and worth preserving."</p> <p>Queen Elizabeth has also made sure Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge has had training for eventual role as Queen Consort. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1YF-zhIyGO/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1YF-zhIyGO/" target="_blank">A post shared by William&amp;Catherine (@familyofwilliamandcatherine)</a> on Aug 19, 2019 at 11:54pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Her Majesty did not have the proper training when she ascended the British throne. </p> <p>During her grandfather’s throne, a younger Princess Elizabeth was third in line behind her Uncle Edward, and her father. </p> <p>Due to this, she was not expected to be the Queen. </p> <p>However, once her grandfather passed away in 1936, her uncle succeeded to the throne but later abdicated so he could propose his divorced girlfriend, Wallis Simpson. </p> <p>Princess Elizabeth eventually became the Queen when her father passed away, at the tender age of 25. </p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see Queen Elizabeth and Prince William throughout the years. </p>

Relationships

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Venice heartache: Cruise ships asked to find a solution before it's too late

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Venice port authority has called on Europe’s most popular cruise ship destinations to tighten their rules as the dangers posed by the massive vessels are taking a serious toll. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Italy’s transport minister has proposed a plan to divert massive shops from porting at Venice’s historic centre after five people were injured when a 13-deck shop hit a tourist boat along the busy Giudecca Canal. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The incident resulted in protests calling for big ships to be banned from the gorgeous Venice lagoon all together. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ships weighing more than 1,000 tonnes will have to find a different waterway to settle into. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Venetians carried banners reading "Ships out of the lagoon" and "No big ships" while others turned to rowboats in the Venetian Lagoon. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Venice hosted 594 cruise ships in 2018, and critics argue the currents created by the vessels are causing costly damages to Renaissance buildings. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"They are destroying Venice, they are physically destroying Venice, physically destroying our lungs," activist Tommaso Cacciari told the </span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-09/venice-bans-large-cruise-ships-from-city-centre/11398434"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ABC</span> </a><span style="font-weight: 400;">in March.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The  cruise ship ban follows after a lengthy campaign by Venice residents for a better and more sustainable tourism model. </span></p>

Cruising

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Poem captures the heartache of losing a loved one

<p>Knowing the end is close for someone you love is one of the most difficult things you can ever deal with. All the preparations and time in the world are never enough to make you ready for the death of a loved one. This beautiful poem is sure to resonate with anyone who’s had to grapple with a tragic loss.</p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Enduring Guardianship</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;">I was cool on the way to the lawyer, we’d talked it all through, no problem.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">So why am I remembering the old kauri house where the wiring was dodgy</p> <p style="text-align: center;">and I held my breath as she flicked the switch to turn off the power?</p> <p style="text-align: center;">How can I do it without her, flick off the switch of life, decide on her fate</p> <p style="text-align: center;">or my own, without consultation, alone? What if she goes and I’m inconsolable?</p> <p style="text-align: center;">What if she stays and doesn’t know me?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">I was cool on the way to the lawyer, we’d talked it all through, no problem.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">So why am I seeing Durdle Door, that day when the sea scouts came upon us;</p> <p style="text-align: center;">we were naked, swimming alone, so we thought. Why am I feeling the sting</p> <p style="text-align: center;">of the storm on Mt Aspiring as she yanked me up the ravine? Why am I</p> <p style="text-align: center;">watching the furious river trash those filthy trail bikes? We laughed</p> <p style="text-align: center;">and cheered; we thought our laughter would never end.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">I was cool on the way to the lawyer, we’d talked it all through, no problem.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">So why am I hearing the birds in the flax at breakfast-time?</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Who will speak to the sparrows for me, find out who’s courting who?</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Who will converse with the cows, compliment them on their new calves?</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Who will call to the hawk as he hovers in flight? Who will mopoke the owl</p> <p style="text-align: center;">late at night? Not me, you see I’m part-city, she’s country to the core.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">I was cool on the way to the lawyer, we’d talked it all through, no problem.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">So why am I tasting the spray on our farm by the sea? Who will natter to the neighbours? Who will croon over crabs creeping sideways?  Who will worship</p> <p style="text-align: center;">the worms in the soil? Who will head off the terrier coming straight towards us?</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Who will gentle the pony for me? Who will gentle my feral heart,</p> <p style="text-align: center;">coax me out of my burrow, interpret nature, my nature for me?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">I’m not cool on the way home from the lawyer, so we talk it all through, again.</p> <p> </p> <p><em>Written by Sue Ogle.</em></p> <p><em>This is an extract from Falling And Flying: Poems On Ageing, Edited by Judith Beveridge and Dr Susan Ogle, Brandl &amp; Schlesinger.</em></p> <p><em>All proceeds from book sales will go directly to the Penney Ageing Research Unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital. For Book sales, please email <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="mailto:sogle@med.usyd.edu.au" target="_blank">sogle@med.usyd.edu.au</a></strong></span>. For Donations, please <a href="http://www.kollingfoundation.org.au/event/penneyageing" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">click here</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/health/mind/2016/04/couple-battles-alzheimers-with-loving-video/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>This couple won’t let Alzheimer’s erase 70 years of love</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/health/mind/2016/04/photo-series-shows-dementia-battle/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Beautiful photo series captures the pain of dementia</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/health/mind/2016/04/alzheimers-linked-with-negative-thoughts-about-ageing/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">New research links Alzheimer's risk with negative thoughts about ageing</span></em></strong></a></p>

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