Pic of the Week

Early morning run through Falkner park opposite Alfred hospital, with a stop of at the Shrine of Remembrance. Part of my strategy for staying sane and on my game over the last week, as Dad reached the finish line of his life journey. Sadly my dad crossed the line on Monday at 2.30am.

Here are the top three things that have made a difference in my week.
They might also be useful for you, or not.

1) What Video’s I watched...

Let’s Talk About Dying - TED Talk.

This great presentation by Peter Saul explains the process of old age almost as a disease in itself. He asks us to consider the choices we have and the one that we would like to make at the end of life. Definitely worth watching now, this is not a talk about death, but about understanding life. I also watched this one as a follow up. We are doing dying all wrong -TED Talk. As a world leader in managing the care of very sick people, Ken Hillman’s breakthrough methods of treating critically ill patients have become the gold standard in Australia, the U.S. and Europe. His job is about keeping people alive, but he asks us to question whether that’s always a good thing.es.

2) A Great website…

Facebook.

I know it’s a bit old school these days, but this week I did a post about my Dad (you can see it here) and the response I got was amazing. Beautiful kind words from family, friends and clients. It wasn’t intended as a call out for help, however I can tell you the response I got has certainly helped this week. I’ve criticized Facebook in the past as being a place for superficial connection, however the love and connection I felt this week was genuine. I’m not sure Facebook is the ultimate vehicle for connection, nothing beats catching up with a friend for lunch (thanks Carl), cup of coffee, a facetime chat, or even the good old phone call.

3) A great Restaurant I discovered…

L’Hotel Gitan.

This beautiful little restaurant in Commercial road Prahran, became the talking point for many of my last conversations with dad. I snuck him out of the hospital and took him there a couple of months ago for oysters and a beer. We always planned to go back there for a celebratory dinner (Dads shout) when he got better. Michelle and I went again on the weekend as a toast to his life. The food and team there are amazing. Old school fine dining with warmth, character, dedication to perfection and a passionate serving. Just like my Dad.

Ps. My favorite quote this week is“If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.” - Lao Tzu

I would love your feedback on what had an impact on you and the lesson in it, moral of the story, or learning you would share.

Have a ripper finish to your week.