The Loss of Parents

I am a big soccer fan and this week I watched as Frank Lampard  – whose mother had died during the week – step up and score a penalty in the Champions League semi final. He was desperate to play and his mother would have wanted him to – she was his biggest fan.

What struck me was for all the money these players earn, for all the prestige of the event,   after he scored he wept, holding his black armband and pointing to his father.

When we lose a parent, it is like losing part of us. They are our guardians, our supporters throughout life. When they die they leave a huge gap in our lives. I think itis so important in that grief to remember how we can honour their memory – Frank did that by doing what his mother loved to see him doing – scoring for Chelsea.

For me, my Dad was the most important influence in my life. I write another blog The Engaging Brand and produce a podcast of the same name in honour of everything he taught me. Somehow it is keeping his memory alive.

Losing a parent is inevitable, however you never lose their influence from your life.

{photo from istockphoto}