Saturday, December 07, 2013

Imminent death of a friend & fellow blogger

Like most Australians, I felt sadness at the the death of Nelson Mandela. He was a remarkable man. It seems, too, that we have come to another passing. I have often mentioned Denis Wright and his blog, My Unwelcome Stranger. On Tuesday, Tracey posted An Update from Tracey. I give it in full:

Friends

Today is an anniversary. It is exactly four years today since 'discovery'. That is, the first seizure which announced the presence of the Unwelcome Stranger. Against all the odds, Denis is still here.

You have not heard from Denis for a little while and I know everyone is wondering how he is doing.

Not so good.

That is the problem with dying. When everyone most wants to know what is happening, it is the time when you are least able to tell them.

Some protracted 'new' seizures on Saturday night, and the subsequent increased deficits in communication and mobility, mean that Denis is extremely unlikely to write on here again.

He has seen the people that he wants to see. He is weary and content to sleep.

The problem for me is that Denis, through this blog and social media, has come to feel a bit like public property for many people. Unsurprisingly, he does not feel like that for me.

With upwards of 100 requests, texts, emails, private Facebook and Twitter messages in the last week, from people who would like to be kept personally informed, you will all be disappointed to read that I don't plan on doing that.

This is not the time for me to be looking at a keyboard and answering questions.

It is the time for me to sit holding Den's hand and loving him while he is still here.

Thanks for all your messages of support.

Denis says thank you all for your friendship. It has meant more to him than you will know.

This is our time now.

It made me cry. While I have known Denis for a long while, over thirty years, it is through blogging that I have come to know him better. As I see him, he was, still is, a wise and gentle man.

Postscript

Denis died Saturday 7 December at 5.10 pm. You can read the last messages here.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well said Jim. It was you who introduced me to his writings a couple of years ago, and it was a little time after becoming a regular reader that I noticed his sidebar detailing his battle with GBM. It came as a great shock because it was this same dreadful thing which took my wife.

I feel very much for his wife Tracey, given that I faced the same problem of caring for my wife, and balancing my own needs for her company with those of the many concerned well-wishers (who at times were an absolute plague) wanting to show their support.

Anyway, thank you for noting this latest development.

kvd

Jim Belshaw said...

Good morning, kvd. Denis died last night. He will be missed.

Neil said...

I read the final messages. So moving,