It’s happened again. Someone has died and I’m gobsmacked. Shocked. Slapped up sideways that someone I admire is no longer here. Poof. Impossible. My mind refuses to believe that this person was here one minute and gone the next. Naive? I don’t think so. My own husband died leaving me to raise our two young children alone. I’ve also lost my father and sadly a dear friend passed away last March. You’d think the awareness of death would stick with me and bestow a steady, level-headed outlook. But no. Apparently I needed yet another wake up call.
By now you’ll have heard; it’s old news. Alan Rickman, the British actor with the huge personality and wonderful voice has died.
This is how I found out. Shortly after waking, I innocently went on my phone and opened up the extended family Google Hangout. Rather than the anticipated update on the antics of my adorable great-nephew I was shocked to see this:
As with David Bowie earlier in the week, his adoring fans didn’t even know he was ill. It was reported that both gents passed over surrounded by friends and family. I’d like to think that’s true and that everyone important to them had a chance to convey everything they needed to say. And vice versa.
Apparently I Needed Yet Another Wake Up Call
So, what on earth does this have to do with the “In The Future…” this week’s Finish The Sentence prompt? Well, it gave me much needed perspective.
You see, I was going to write about how I was annoyed with a certain someone. He Who Shall Not Be Named has been rather unresponsive of late. Unresponsive as in not responding with “thank yous” for some rather generous gestures on my part. In short, being ignored doesn’t sit well with me. I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that this young fellow would have recognized himself here as he rarely reads my posts but his darling older cousin, a frequent reader, might have alerted him and perhaps his conscience would have been shocked into action but sharing it here would have made me feel better.
Yes, for today’s FTSF, I’d planned a searingly caustic ditty about how this very afternoon I’d fired off a text alerting the boy in question that “In future, I’d appreciate some acknowledgement of my efforts on your behalf … and in fact even a brief “Hi, I’m alive and thank you” would suffice.” But the shocking announcement of Alan Rickman’s death got me sorted. A much gentler and admittedly vastly more appropriate text was sent.
The key point that brought me back to my senses? Kelly, get a grip. Your loved ones are healthy, possess independent spirits and are living wisely and well.
For that I am grateful. I wish for you, dear readers, the very same.
Yes, this is my response to the Finish the Sentence Friday’s prompt of “In the future …” To learn how the other contributors finished the prompt I invite you to check out Kristi’s post at findingninee and this week’s co-host: Alyssa at Babies, Bloodhounds and Booze, Oh My!
Enough about me and the fact that apparently I needed yet another wake up call to not focus on unimportant minutiae. I’m curious about you. Was Mr. Rickman’s death a complete shock to you as well? Were you a Hans Gruber, Severus Snape, Harry, or Col. Christopher Brandon fan? Do unimportant issues consume your waking hours and leave you wide awake at night? Have you lost a loved one? If so, do you also require the odd wake up call to get you back on track? If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.
As always, if you got a kick out of this latest Just TypiKel blurb, I’d really appreciate it if you’d share it via your preferred method of social media. Every little bit of publicity truly helps me. Thank you.
28 Responses
When my father passed away last November, it was a huge wake up call for me. I realized that the worst part of getting older isn’t the wrinkles or fading eyesight, it’s the loss of those who have always been there. It does make you appreciate those left behind so much more, at least for a bit. And then another wake up call comes. I was very sad to read about the passing of Alan Rickman today – although his role in Harry Potter is my favorite, I also loved him in Dogma.
Oh, Lana, what a wonderful way to put it. “… that the worst part of getting older isn’t the wrinkles or fading eyesight, it’s the loss of those who have always been there.” So very true. It’ll be 9 years this February that my dad passed away and I can’t believe it. 9 years? Seems more like 5. I still have moments where something will happen and I think “Oh, Dad will love this. I’ll call him.” Apparently that’ll still be happening for a long time to come. My own mom’s dad passed away in 1950 and she confesses she still reacts that way.
And yes, thanks also for mentioning Dogma. I gather I must see it.
Kelly, I know reading about passings like this just makes me so grateful for all I do have and that even though my house has been filled with illness lately it is not the fatal kind by any means and we will get through this still. Thanks for the reminder here today as to what is truly important.
Thank you for popping in, Janine. I do hope everyone is on the mend. I can remember when my two were your kids’ ages and we would have “windows of health.” The colds especially seemed neverending.
I really didn’t know of Alan and his work- SHAME on ME!! But but but… I have had those wake up calls many times. The ones that pull us back to take a better view of the precious gift we have here on earth and how truly fleeting it is. Oh, how we can spend too much of our time and energy on things that get us in a tizzy! It’s so easy to do…
I’m so glad this news shifted something inside of you, and you ‘modified’ that text. I get it. I really do. 🙂
That’s the thing, Chris. It is so easy to get all caught up in the nonimportant stuff. I tell myself not to and yet … As for Alan Rickman, well the man was just so darn gifted. Folks are telling me to watch Dogma – haven’t seen it so it’ll be my next AR fix. He was Snape in Harry Potter if you saw any of those gems.
I need those wake up calls too, I just wish they didn’t occur because of someone’s passing. I knew of Alan Rickman’s work, but I was not a huge fan…and I am touched by all the expressions of love and respect I’m seeing for him and David Bowie on social media. It reminds me that regardless of all the other things going on in the world, human connection is the most important.
Human connection is the most important. Well said, Dana. The thing is – even though I never met the man, I felt that we’d get along. I think I’m sad to know that I’ll never have that opportunity. Ah well. Wonder if we’ll ever stop needing the wake up calls.
I hate these kind of wake-up calls. And they always seem to come in threes, don’t they? I loved Allen Rickman – oh that voice. And Emma Thompson shared some beautiful words about him. So sad.
Oh Allie, yes I keep thinking about these wake up calls happening in threes! Golly, what 69 year-old actor gent is going to go next? Hopefully some obscure but delightful fellow has already passed on and the news just passed under the radar. I felt the very same about Emma Thompson’s words. She’s lovely and must miss him so very much.
Awww I hadn’t heard. I haven’t been on facebook for about two weeks – it’s kind of left me under a rock I suppose. I just watched Love Actually for the millioneth time over the Christmas holidays. Death and illness do put things into perspective, giving ones who a still here a gentler appreciation for ‘still being here’ despite ruffling our feathers. But on the flipside I still think the boy in question should send you “hello I’m alive” texts. 😉
Ha! Yes, indeed he should send me “hello I’m alive” texts. Thank you so much for getting that! I also watched Love Actually for the millionth time over Christmas. “And so your mobile rings …” He’ll indeed be missed.
We all need wake-up calls sometimes and how wonderful that you recognized it before you regretted sending a text 🙂
Also I’d heard about Alan Rickman (also from Facebook) but I didn’t recognize his name. Seeing the photo you posted makes me think I know who he is though. So sad. And David Bowie (WEEP).
Thank you so much for linking up! xo
Yes, I managed to dodge a bullet there, Kristi. Phewf.
I have a friend who was extremely shaken by the death of David Bowie. I don’t really understand because I was not a huge fan or Bowie or Rickman. However, I think death shakes us all – whether we are “prepared” or not. This year, a classmate of my daughter, a 5th grader, was tragically killed in a car accident. It rocked the entire school. It made all of us hug our kids a little tighter and drive a little more carefully for about a week. Then, I suppose, for most of us the shock wore off and life went on. If only we could hold on to that sense of remembering our blessings that consumes us right after a death without the sadness and heartache that accompanies it.
Very well put, Lisa. If only we could hang on to that sense of remembering our blessings … I am so very sorry to learn about the death of your daughter’s classmate. It is the kind of wake up call that no one would wish on anyone.
I kind of want to echo what Lisa said – we’re *meant* to be rocked by these things, and pulled from our baser thoughts back into the bigger picture. I think it’s part of being human, just like you forgetting how long your dad’s been gone…you’re not meant to remember, because the love that you had (and have) for him keeps his spirit going, and THAT is where we all need people, and THAT is where the stark reality of loss, even if it’s for someone else, or of someone far removed, has an impact for good, if we let it.
Glad you sent a kinder text. But I hope he sorts his punk ass out and says thank you! 😉
Very well said, Lizzi. Thank you. And yes, the lad in question did offer up a thank you, I’m pleased to say.
I, too, was shocked by Mr. Rickman’s death. Cancer is evil and must be stopped.
YES.
I admit that I am not a big fan of the HP movies as I am of the books, so Alan Rickman’s death did not sadden me as much as it did others. I have seen him in other movies, including one of my very favorites, Sense and Sensibility, in which I was more in love with the Dashwood sisters than Col. Brandon! I do love his voice!
So interesting, Roshni, that you enjoyed the HP books more than the movies. I was pretty sceptical going into the first movie and was pleasantly surprised that they stuck so close to the books. I’m also a big fan of Sense and Sensibility with one exception. I really like Emma Thompson, however I felt she was too old for her role here.
I think we all try to live life as though it will never end – but these “wake up” calls remind us that we should savour every moment with every important person in our lives.
A generation so connected to their phones and the Internet should excell at keeping in touch, but it is funny how often that doesn’t seem to be the case. No news is usually good news… but I hope you get a thank you!
Wise words all around, Susan. Am happy to report that I did get a rousing thank you and that we had a lengthy and lovely exchange just yesterday. And yes – no news is usually good news. I’ll try and remember that.
So very true, it sometimes takes a shakeup to realize not to sweat the small stuff ! I can, however, relate to being a trifle annoyed when ones offspring fail to communicate !! My Dad passed away 28 years ago, and I still miss him, and the fact that he didn’t get the full appreciation of being a wonderful Grandpa !
I’ll wager that most days those 28 years don’t seem nearly that long, Jane. Thank you so much for popping in and leaving a comment. How is it that during the day I’m pretty good on not sweating the small stuff but come nighttime? Ouch.
I don’t even have anything witty to say, I just really enjoy your style of writing. I will say that I too was taken aback by Professor Snape’s death. He was the villain we loved to hate, and it wouldn’t have been the same with anyone else.
It was so sad, wasn’t it? And so very true, Sandra. Snape would not have been the same with someone else playing him. Thanks for popping in and leaving a comment. I do appreciate it!