# @annalysejacobs on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DCdv8J6qEPb
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/59714744-annalysejacobs-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/39d85ce848.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-11-17T07:58:16.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Anna Jacobs, The Colour Doctor (@annalysejacobs) — https://gondola.cc/annalysejacobs

## Caption

Today is the first anniversary of my dad’s death. 

His life story continues to be an inspiration to me and really that’s what keeps his soul alive still, despite his body having passed on. 

He grew up in poverty in the Glasgow Gorbals (notorious slum tenements) with a violent alcoholic father. By 14 he was a convicted cat burglar with a 2yr suspended sentence and later on youth detention. 

But somehow he had the determination to change his life around. He was bright, so he worked hard at school, got himself to Glasgow university to study biochemistry and then medicine and eventually qualified as a psychiatrist. 

After a while he decided that he wanted to dedicate himself to helping disadvantaged and emotionally troubled kids, so he started working as the resident psychiatrist in several of the children’s homes in South London. 

It wasn’t all plain sailing and sometimes it was challenging for us as a family. He had a lot to work through.

But he was passionate about family and togetherness and forgiveness, about always seeing something good in everyone, about being silly and having fun and most of all forging your own independent path as a unique individual, regardless of what anyone else might think of you. 

And he played the piano - a lot. He often played Rachmaninov and Chopin with over the top passion and drama and now I wonder if through his playing he released a lot of his anger and hurt of the past. And then in gentler pieces he found solace. 

So now we have completed a year of grieving and somehow the hard edges melt away and what is left is the inspiration, joy and love. 

Today we’re having a pub lunch in his honour and visiting his ashes which we buried in a biodegradable giant acorn (!) under a tree in a natural burial ground. 

Rest in peace, Dad. 

#grief #parentloss #resilience #alifewelllived #transformation

## Stats

- **Views:** 6,568
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- **Comments:** 97

## Tags

parentloss, alifewelllived, transformation, grief, resilience

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