Tell them while you still can

As we stand almost on the verge of the closure of the year 2016, many commentators have been focussing on the relatively large number of 'celebrities' who have died during the year.  In just the last few days, for example, four major figures from the entertainment industry, Rick Parfitt, George Michael, Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds have slipped their mortal coils.  The earlier losses of figures such as Terry Wogan, Paul Daniels and Ronnie Corbett were particularly poignant to me, because in different ways they brought me great personal enjoyment and many happy memories during my formative years.

One of the people whose face I will miss as much as most is someone who will have been far less well-known than most of the other celebrities.  Indeed, he would probably not have regarded himself as a celebrity at all.  I learned only yesterday of his recent death, aged in his mid-50s.  His name was Graham Lay; a name which you may not recognise.  He was one of the experts in The Antiques Roadshow.  What attracted me to Graham was his boyish enthusiasm and his genuine interest, not only in a particular object but in the story behind it, and in its owners.  His warm smile was always apparent.  It seemed to me that he was someone I would have enjoyed meeting.  I loved the fact, too, that he was so proud of his Blue Peter badge that he wore it on just about every occasion!  Antiques Roadshow won't be quite the same without him.

I had noticed, over the years, that on occasion Graham seemed to have to make a special effort with his breathing.  I have now learned that he was a lifelong sufferer of Cystic Fibrosis, which can be a very debilitating illness.  From what little I have been able to learn about Graham, he bore his illness with remarkable fortitude and without complaint.  He gave the impression that he was one of those people with the knack of making others feel better for being in his presence.  He will be much missed.  My prayers are with his family and friends.

One of the celebrity deaths which caused great public comment was that of singer George Michael.  I was interested by Gary Lineker's subsequent tweet, "Wouldn't it be nice if death gave us a day's notice so giants like George Michael could see how much they were revered and adored?"  Leaving aside the interesting question as to what qualifies a person to be classed as a "giant", I'm convinced that being given 24 hours' notice of one's impending demise would not be an altogether unqualified blessing!

Leaving that to one side, however, the point is that death generally doesn't give us that kind of warning.  As I've said before on more than one occasion, if you love and appreciate someone, if you're grateful for their input into your life, or simply for who they are, tell them while you still can!