Ascension : News From The Grotto - Thought For The Week
Submitted by The Islander (Shari Parkhill) 06.11.2008 (Article Archived on 20.11.2008)

This beautiful island was visited by tragedy again this past week when we lost our good friend Robert Glanville to an accident.

It was a devastating event that came as a shock to everyone.  It shows us just how fragile life is, how we never know when we will be gone from this world, and leave our friends and loved ones stricken with a grief that is painful to see.

Robert was one of those good hearted people who was liked by everyone he met.  He was a truly nice man who brought a smile to everyone’s face.  He had recently learned to scuba dive and I was diving with him only a week before when he experienced the diving at Boatswainbird Island.  It is an amazing experience and I was glad that he had a chance to do it.

We don’t know what happened to cause Robert to lose control of his motorcycle that awful Monday night.  We may speculate, but we will probably never know what happened for sure.  All we know is that in an awful few seconds, something catastrophic occurred and as a result, the promising life of a kind and lovely man was ended.  It was devastating to be at the hospital and witness the grief as his relatives and friends arrived and had their worst fears confirmed.

As a mother, one of my first thoughts was of his poor mother and how her life had changed forever.  It is not natural to lose our children; it is supposed to happen the other way around.  Her grief will be overwhelming.  We always ask ourselves when these tragedies occur: How could God let this happen?  Why would He take someone away from us? 

Life happens; we live our lives, and along with the good, bad things, horrible things happen to good people.  We see this all the time, although living in such a peaceful environment as Ascension, we tend to think we are immune.  But as I look back over my six years on Ascension, I counted up the number of people that I have known, and have passed from this life.  At least eleven have been lost on this island, or shortly after leaving it for medical attention.  Eight more people that I have known from here have passed away on St. Helena or in the United States.  It seems like so many, but I realized that it seems that way because, as a small community, we are a close community.

A close community is a blessing in so many ways.  We all know each other, like most of each other, and appreciate the spirit of kindness and caring that makes this place so special.  But this closeness means that when tragedy strikes, we feel it more acutely.  Again, we all know each other, and so therefore have more people to grieve for when they are lost to us.

This closeness also means that when we lose people, they are cared for in such a loving, more personal way than in other places in the world.  The touching way in which Robert and his friends were treated by the staff of the hospital, and the police, was something that many places in the world have forgotten.  Again this is a blessing we should be grateful for.

I truly believe that Robert was not alone in his last moments.  He had an angel by his side to take him home to be welcomed into God’s loving arms.  And God has angels at the side of all those who loved Robert.  Our faith will sustain us in times of sadness and grief, and with God’s help, Robert’s mother, his family and his friends will all make it through to the time.  Although the sadness of a promising life cut short will always linger in our hearts, the overwhelming pain and grief that is foremost in our souls right now, will ease.  Robert will forever be in the hearts and minds of those who knew him as a special, wonderful person whom we were all blessed to have known.

Again, I’d like to share the writing which I think is so true:  Death is not an ending, but simply a horizon beyond which we cannot see. 

May God watch over and bring comfort to Robert’s mother, his family, and his friends in the sad days ahead as we all learn to live with his tragic loss.  May we find comfort in our faith and in the kindness of others as we share our grief.  May our hearts eventually be healed to the point where memories of Robert bring a smile to our face, and warmth to our hearts.  May we find peace in our souls in the knowledge that Robert has gone before over that horizon.  One day, so will we all, to be reunited with those we’ve loved and lost. 

Take heed of the saying about living each day to the fullest, living each day like it is your last.  For one day it will be.  Tell the ones you love how much they mean to you.  Put aside meanness and pettiness.  Embrace this gift of life that God has given us with open, welcoming arms. Do some good in your life.  Make someone smile.  Make a difference.  Make sure that when you depart this life, your memory, like Robert’s, will be a loving remembrance of a good life, a life well lived.

May god bless us all, especially Robert’s family and friends in this sad time.