A Few Words From Michelle perry….

Posted on 15 July, 2014 Neil Greentree

Michelle contacted me after Sundays Ashes Scattering wanting to express a few thanks. In her word……..

I’m sorry that my mouth didn’t say what my brain was thinking. It has been a fault that Paul did his best to cure. He would get annoyed that mid sentence I would jump to another thought that had entered my head and continue down that track with no continuity to those who were listening. He would say that most people found it hard to keep up as my brain was three thoughts ahead of my mouth. But this is what i meant to say…

I would like to thank you all for coming today especially Faye and ed who have travelled from the Isle Of Wight and Isle Of Mann. It is hard  for them to be through the emotional wringer again and also to Olivia who felt unwell to be with us in person. Today is to Paul at his final resting place, to put him back to where he belonged in the sea. He had travelled all over the world but this was the place he loved the most, his ‘at peace’ place. he came off the water here a few times and said if I were to die tomorrow I would die a happy man. He didn’t even curse the walk back which for having to carry ALL his kit over the razor shells says everything ( I can add the that….. Michelle always carried it for him!! Lol…  Editor), but he was always pleased if he saw me waiting the other side to help him up the beach.

Something Ed said to me was that he was their dad and they won’t get another one. My heart bleeds for you and i wish that I could make your loss and hurt go away but I can’t. But to a greater and lesser degree we all feel that, he was a one of a kind. Yes we may find other friends, companions or sensai’s but never another Paul. i know that the children would have liked a more private day, but I always knew that i had to share Paul. Like those who live in grand houses are only custodians for a short while looking after it as best they can while they have the privilege to live there, that is how I was with Paul, privileged to look after him while I had himso he could do the work he was put here to do. To enhance so many peoples lives and to give people the belief and ability to truly be who they could be. Just look at Faye and Ed who have excelled at cycling – it must help having some of those genes!.

As Neil said ” Paul knew we only managed a fraction of what we could really achieve”. I have seen, heard, and experienced him pushing us past where we feel comfortable, but once you have been there you know yo can go a little further the next time. He could be a hard taskmaster but he just wanted us to reach that perfection that seemed to come so easily to him. He wanted us to have that sheer joy of finding that peace of doing our utter best, hence the irony of scattering his ashes here. I will now have to be brave a come over here myself without the comfort of knowing if I couldn’t do a water start Paul would drop in nearby to encourage me to get there ( There will be plenty of us to step into his shoes on that one M!… Editor)………… he always looked out for others.

Today is the beginning of the next step, to always remember him, but to take up that gauntlet and move forward to continue his work and to live our lives to the full. To help others to make a difference and NOT to accept nearly!!

He bullied many of you into buying new kit – no he wasn’t on commission from Neil!! Lol, but he so loved windsurfing he wanted everyone to experience that. He made many of you go out with the promise of more wind than there really was – he just wanted you to enjoy life to the full. We only have a finite time and we must enjoy it wisely.

The music from Laird surfing video by Pearl jam ‘ I know I was born and i know I will die, but the in between is MINE‘ means make the most of it and make it count.

Many say its not the same without Paul and it not… I know, I have a black pit inside so large that if I let it, it would swallow me whole, but I can’t go there. I promised him I would live my life and go on to do everything as before so I just say that life is different.

I wish everyday he was still here and i would do anything for it to be so, but it isn’t and I just have to get on with it as he would expect. He touched each of us and that is his legacy. He lives on in each of us and we all have special memories of him. As we give him up to the sea we say goodbye gorgeous but NEVER forgotten.

I would like to add a few thanks……

To Anne for making so much wonderful food. To Jenny and Margaret who stayed behind to put the food out. To Andy, Les, Ollie and Willy and the Hunstanton Sailing Club. Lastly to Neil, JB and Pauline who have shown such friendship I feel unworthy, and to Karen who has, as she is my siswis.

Michelle

Please feel free to comment below….. Neil

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