There was a real theme around George's life celebration, in particular his ability to be breath-takingly honest. I don't think any of the speakers failed to mention his preemptive "No offence, but..."
And because I still want to just think about George right now, again, being totally self-indulgent (isn't that all bloggers??) I wanted to share what I said about him last Friday.
Twenty years ago, I said to Geoff “we really should start trying for a baby. It
could take us 2 years to find out we can’t.” It took us 2 weeks to find out we could. And that was George.
George’s travels started immediately as
just a few weeks pregnant, we headed off on a 5 week backpacking trip of
Mexico. But he was actually born on Saturday June 12th 1993, a
freezing cold day in Melbourne with snow on the Dandenongs. And so began his
amazing, charming, funny, joyous 19-year life adventure.
We moved from Box Hill to Malvern when
George was 18 months old. His crèche wrote up George’s routine and preferences
for the new crèche, suggesting he be encouraged to be more assertive. And it
wasn’t long until – as George shoved toddles from moving trikes so he could
take over – their wish was granted. He
did find his equilibrium and his tribe, being Georgia, Pete and James (who all
made it to his 18th birthday party last year) and the social life of
those pre-schoolers rivaled most teenagers. George was, frankly, incredibly
popular and happy.
He was a gorgeous little boy. In fact, we
were in Queenscliff one weekend and George was running ahead of us on the
street past a group of cool young 20-somethings. As they past me I overheard one
guy say, ‘when I have a kid he’s going to be just like that.’
The start to school was unexpectedly shaky.
Although socially adept, he wasn’t fast to catch on to the skills of reading
and writing. In fact, after Grade 1, it was decided that he should repeat. George
wasn’t that happy – until he found out he was repeating with a couple of his
besties.
However his fine motor skills began to
deteriorate and it became increasingly obvious that something wasn’t right.
George was diagnosed with NPC aged 9. But once we knew that, school became a
whole lot easier. Toni joined George as his integration aide and the
expectations of his abilities were adjusted accordingly making it a happier
time for all.
George had a memorable presentation in
Grade 3. Lifted directly from Bart Simpson, he opened with “Ladies and
Gentlemen…. Prepare to be dazzled!” After which it probably didn’t matter much
what he actually said! What he may have lacked in academic achievement he
certainly made up for in entertainment and charm.
He had a happy time at Malvern Central
School and with Toni’s help and good humour, stayed on until year 8 after which
he moved to Glenallen.
Like Jaz, we worried about the move to
Glenallen, but he loved it. Vivienne will tell you a bit more about that later.
George has always been philosophical about
life and his lot. Like my friend Kate,
when faced with the unchangeable, he’d say ‘Well what can you do,’ – it was
statement, not a question. When Jaz died 3 1/2 years ago, George asked to speak
to her boyfriend Dylan at school. ‘It was just her time,’ he told him.
Our friend Penny reminded us this week that
in Africa last year, as she coughed and told George she hoped he didn’t get her
cold, he grabbed her arm and said ‘Penny, if you spend your whole life worrying
about what might happen, you’d never do anything.’ And finally, to my work
friends at the Glenallen School art show when they introduced themselves by
saying ‘I work with your mum’, he said ‘I am soooo sorry…..”
His sense of humour and dry wit were well
known and often used to break an awkward moment. When his teacher Michael, who
later admitted he was a bit nervous, rambled on to the class on day one of
school, George raised his hand; ‘Michael…. What the hell are you talking
about??”
His charm was on occasion a veneer to
mischief which I don’t believe was all together innocent. Anything that started
with ‘No offence’ was bound to be. Like when he said to a staff member at
school, ‘No offence Christine, but your moustache is really glistening in then
sun.”
George did love a family holiday. He and I
loudly ‘dah dah dah!!!ed” the theme song for Indiana Jones as we entered every
pyramid and tomb in Egypt. It was his fascination with the ancient Egyptian gods
in the Pokemon cards and the Indiana Jones movies that decided the destination
in the first place. His love of animals took us to Borneo to see orang utangs,
proboscis monkeys and turtles, to Africa to see rhinos, giraffe and lions and
Thailand to pose with an enormous tiger, have snakes slung around his neck and
ride elephants. He loved the birds of prey show at Healesville and even the
Melbourne zoo was always a good day out.
On his last day in Yosemite, he was completely enchanted with the
squirrels that came right under our chairs as we had lunch.
And of course, it was on our last holiday
in the US was where George left us. We’d helicoptered into the Grand Canyon,
rafted down the Colorado river and caught a couple of shows in Vegas before we
got to the beautiful Yosemite national park.
As many of you know, he’d had a tough year so it was great to be doing what we all love best – exploring somewhere
new and just being together.
George was a funny, thoughtful, caring,
gentle soul . We were extremely lucky to have had him. Even though it was far too short. We will
love and miss him forever.
