Jason Weir, while suffering unendurable pain, chose to interact with those around him with love, joy and an awesome sense of humour.   

Our family were on the coast when we heard the dreadful news of our beloved school teacher’s passing, and like many, we reacted with disbelief, horror at our loss, and sympathy for his precious family. 

All in our community will grieve in different ways at different stages.

My first response was anger. Anger at the terrible pain such a wonderful person had to suffer – pain inflicted by a disease the patient took every step to treat. 

I was angry that his family must now survive such incredibly dark days of pain and loss. 

Most of all, I was angry at myself for not talking to Jason more about his struggles – as if I could have magically cured the disease through some kind of intense conversation – how shallow of me. 

If this guilt helps me to modify my behaviour when next faced with a chance to offer help to a sufferer, I will harness it. For now though, I am accepting forgiveness.   

My angry outburst was soon replaced by quiet sad tears on the beach.  

Just like time, the waves never stop breaking onto the beach, and this man who was so much to so many was battered by the innumerable crashing waves of this existence. 

Our teacher was finally tumbled by the intensity of one wave – no more through bad management or good fortune than any of us – in the lottery of life that our health can be. 

Jason’s family will be surprised by how many people their treasured man affected during his time on earth. 

Each of us who met the man had our own personal connection with him that will forever be a part of us individually, but we are also now connected because we knew him, and I hope we will remember him in conversation often. 

At this very moment, I expect that Jason Weir is delighting everyone in heaven with some pretty disastrous dad jokes – and probably wearing a hideous wig to do the job properly. 

Yolande Grosser