We had a hard morning for too many reasons to mention in this blog. I went to a cafe for an hour to blog, and on the wall of magazines was the most recent People Magazine. On the front cover was a picture of Steve Irwin's beautiful young daughter Bindi, who is turning 16 soon. Inside the magazine is a courageous interview with Bindi that was sad, touching, and inspiring. It's hard to believe that it has been almost eight years since Steve Irwin's tragic death. I remember watching him as the host of the Animal Planet series The Crocodile Hunter even before I was pregnant with my son.
Bindi is turning sixteen on July 24th and isn't a little girl anymore. She is a home schooled teen who lives with her mom and brother in the family home within the gates of the Australia Zoo. When speaking about the loss of her father, one thing she said brought tears to my eyes. She said that much of the advice she received was well-meaning but misguided. She said, "I remember after we lost Dad, so many adults came up to me and said, "Honey, time heals all wounds." She added, "That is the biggest lie you will ever hear. It doesn't. That part of you is gone forever. Time softens things, so now when I think back about Dad and the amazing memories we had together, I'm happy. But that kind of sadness never goes away. It's like losing a piece of your heart that you never get back."
The article hit my hard! It really makes me think about what is important! Bindi's way of healing and moving forward is to build upon her father's legacy rather than to dwell on the past. She said in the interview, "When you lose a loved one, you come to these crossroads. You can take the path that leads you down the aisle of sadness, or you can say, 'I'm never going to let this person's memory die. I'm going to make sure everything they worked for continues.'"
Her mother, Terri, who was an Oregon raised former veterinary technician who wed Irwin in 1992 said, "I see a lot of Steve in her, in that she has a sense of urgency, a sense of wanting to do it now."
Her mom also claims that Bindi is empathetic to those who don't have a voice.
This article in People really resonated with me. When I was sixteen I found out that my father only had a year to live. He had a cerebral infract and the doctor told me about it in his office, I'll never forget that moment. Tears fall even as I write about it. As Bindi said, time has not healed that wound, it has softened it. I can tell Bindi was authentic in telling about her experiences losing her father, as I have felt the same feelings.
I remember after I lost my brother suddenly to cancer, sitting in a friend's apartment trying to tell her why I was having a hard time reaching out for support. How I felt sad and it was different than anything I had felt before. She said, "Just reach out. " She made it seem so easy, yet it was obvious that she didn't really understand.
I am sure that in heaven, Steve Irwin is smiling down at his daughter! She is an amazing young lady and sure to to inspire future generations!
Resources:
"Steve had a childlike love for creatures. It's the same for Bindi and Robert."
-Terri Irwin
People Magazine
August 4, 2014
Vol.82
No. 5
"I Miss Him Everyday."
Pgs.58-64
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