09 November 2010

A most important book


On the 15 of May 2009 I lost my dear friend Sven, his fight against severe cancer finally over. I was devastated and for a long time I felt like my life lost its bearing. Sven was one of those rare friends, a once in a life time friend and although I had only known him for two years when he died he had become a very important part of my life. When I met him he had just received his diagnosis. Through him and his enormous will to live I learned that life is a precious thing that never should be taken for granted but also that nothing is impossible and that there is always hope.

Sven was a brilliant consultant working mostly with non profit organizations and in his last year he wrote a manuscript for a book about “How to keep the movement moving”. It was a book about the need for good leadership in the non profit organizations in order to have a continuous development of the cause instead of a more preserving attitude. He managed to finish the manuscript before he died but sadly he never got to see the book in print.

Yesterday I received a package in the post. I opened it and started to cry. In it was a book, a most important book – Sven’s book. I made myself a cup of tea, sat down in my sofa and started reading. In that moment, reading his words I missed him so terribly it felt like my heart would break. Oh how I wished that he was there with me us discussing the chapters or arguing a point.

I know he would have been very happy and proud over how the book turned out and I like to think that somehow, somewhere he knows!

Take care
Jeanette

2 comments:

LiLi M. said...

What a lovely tribute to your friend and as well to his book. I presume I can only read it in Swedish?
Take care blog twin sister! You know that Sven still loves you!

Heather Woollove said...

I'm SO sorry for your loss.
Isn't it wonderful, though, to be able to hold his words in your hands and to know the direction that he would have encouraged your future activism to take?!?!
(Like advice from beyond the grave!)
Be kind to yourself as you move through your grief. Grief is a strange thing...not linear at all...and you may find that it hits you when you least expect it. Hugs to you-