On April 26th, 2019, a group of friends. Barrie and I, went to see Andrea Bocelli live in Abu Dhabi. We were living in Dubai at the time, so it seemed a shame not to go watch one of our favourite opera singers. It was a magical night! We had a blast! What was there not to like! An amazing voice, an exotic place, the company of good friends and my love holding my hand!
I’ve included a few pictures, the one of me holding my shoes is on the way back from the concert. My feet were killing me! The hotel wasn’t far away, but because of the expectations and numbers of attendees, it was impossible to get a taxi back, so we decided to walk. At one point I told Barrie, my feet were starting to blister. Practical man that he was, I asked if he would mind if I took my shoes off, he answered no, as long as I was careful where I was stepping and didn’t hurt them; so there we are, all dressed up and me with my shoes in my hand! God, I love that man! No matter how harebrained my ideas were: anywhere from walking barefoot, to going to a nudist beach to moving to Riyadh or Dubai for work; he was always there and always supportive! So, yes, today is one of those days when it has hit me, like a rough wave hits a surfer. What can I do? Ride the wave, embrace it, make the most of it because it is my passion, it is my life, it is my memory, it is my love!
What triggered this memory was a song. As I was making the bed this Sunday morning and listening to my favourite Vancouver radio station, they played one of our favourite songs: Time to say goodbye.
I recognized it immediately, but it wasn’t the Bocelli version that we had sung to so many times, it was the instrumental version. As beautiful as it was, I don’t know whose version it was, it got me thinking… What I’m living right now is like a prism, like what that song awoke in me, it was beautiful music, but it wasn’t “our version”, the one we sang to, there were no lyrics, no soul, no passion, it was beautiful, but it was lacking.
Life is pretty much like that these days. There is beauty in almost every day, but it is lacking.
What is it lacking? Your light, your sparkle, the presence you brought to it. So, for the time being, I live life through a prism with you in it, but not in it. Will I escape the prism and live life to the fullest some day? Who knows? Yet, here I am on the path and riding those waves!
P.S. I’m including Translated lyrics because the song is beautiful!
El 26 de abril de 2019, un grupo de amigos, Barrie y yo fuimos a ver a Andrea Bocelli en vivo en Abu Dabi. Vivíamos en Dubái en ese momento, así que parecía una pena no ir a ver a uno de nuestros cantantes de ópera favoritos. ¡Fue una noche mágica! ¡Nos lo pasamos genial! ¿Cómo no nos iba a gustar? Una voz increíble, un lugar exótico, la compañía de buenos amigos y mi amor de la mano.
He incluido algunas fotos; la de mí sosteniendo mis zapatos es de camino de vuelta del concierto. ¡Mis pies me estaban matando! El hotel no estaba lejos, pero debido a las expectativas y la cantidad de asistentes, era imposible conseguir un taxi de regreso, así que decidimos caminar. Llegado un momento, le dije a Barrie que me estaban saliendo ampollas. Práctico como era, le pregunté si le importaría si me quitara los zapatos. Él respondió que no, siempre y cuando tuviera cuidado donde pisaba y no me lastimara; así que ahí estamos, todo arreglados y yo con mis zapatos en la mano. ¡Dios, cómo amo a ese hombre! No importaba cuán descabelladas fueran mis ideas, desde caminar descalza hasta ir a una playa nudista o mudarnos a Riad o Dubái por trabajo, él siempre estaba allí y siempre me apoyaba. Así que sí, hoy es uno de esos días en los que me ha golpeado, como una ola fuerte golpea a un surfista. ¿Qué puedo hacer? Montar la ola, abrazarla, aprovecharla al máximo porque es mi pasión, es mi vida, es mi memoria, es mi amor.
Lo que desencadenó este recuerdo fue una canción. Mientras hacía la cama esta mañana de domingo y escuchaba mi estación de radio favorita de Vancouver, tocaron una de nuestras canciones favoritas: Time to Say Goodbye. La reconocí de inmediato, pero no era la versión de Bocelli que habíamos cantado tantas veces juntos; era la versión instrumental. Tan hermosa como era, no sé de quién era la versión. Me hizo pensar… Lo que estoy viviendo ahora es como un prisma, como lo que esa canción despertó en mí. Era música hermosa, pero no era “nuestra versión”, la que cantábamos. No había letras, no había alma, no había pasión. Era hermosa, pero le faltaba algo.
La vida es bastante así estos días. Hay belleza en casi todos los días, pero le falta algo. ¿Qué le falta? Tu luz, tu brillo, la presencia que traías a ella. Así que, por el momento, vivo la vida a través de un prisma contigo en ella, pero no en ella. ¿Escaparé del prisma y viviré la vida al máximo algún día? ¿Quién sabe? Sin embargo, aquí estoy en el camino y montando esas olas.
P.D. ¡Incluyo la letra traducida porque la canción es muy bonita!
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Mark your calendars! The Hope For Widows Foundation’s annual Widows of Hope 5K is back! Join us virtually from Friday, May 9, through Sunday, May 11, 2025.
This event is open to all—whether you’re a widow, widower, a friend or family member showing support, or participating in honor of a loved one or cause. Your involvement makes a real difference, with all proceeds directly benefiting widows through our Restoring Hope and Peace Grants, Sunshine Boxes program, and Bring Hope Holiday Assistance Program.
Register and find FAQs here: http://getmeregistered.com/WidowsofHope5K
Looking for more ways to get involved? Sponsorship opportunities are available! If you or a business you know would like to support, we’d love to connect. Go here: https://hopeforwidows.org/5k-sponsorship/
¡Apúntalo en el calendario! ¡La carrera anual Widows of Hope 5K de la Fundación Hope For Widows está de vuelta! Únete virtualmente del viernes 9 de mayo al domingo 11 de mayo de 2025.
Este evento está abierto a tod@s viud@s, amig@s o familiares que muestran su apoyo, o que participan en honor a un ser querido o una causa. Su participación marca una gran diferencia, ya que todas las ganancias benefician directamente a las viudas a través de nuestras Becas Restaurando la Esperanza y la Paz, el programa Sunshine Boxes y el Programa de Asistencia Navideña Bring Hope.
Regístrate y consulta las preguntas frecuentes aquí: http://getmeregistered.com/WidowsofHope5K
¿Busca más maneras de participar? ¡Hay oportunidades de patrocinio disponibles! Si tú o una empresa que conoces deseas apoyar la fundación, nos encantaría conectar con vosotr@s. Visite: https://hopeforwidows.org/5k-sponsorship/
About Carmen Medina
Carmen is a 66-year-old widow who is living in Spain. She was born in Vancouver, B.C., Canada to Spanish parents. Since 2019 she has been living in Antequera in the south of Spain. She was married to Barrie Eggington, her soul mate and love of her life till he passed away on December 23rd, 2023, after a long battle with lung cancer.
Thanks to Hope for Widows, which she found online just a few weeks after his passing, Carmen found a group who not only understood what she was going through when few others did, but also solace in her sisters in grief, a place where she could express her feelings and find the resonance she needed.
Carmen has been an English teacher and teacher trainer for over 30 years in Europe, the Middle East and North America. She still teaches English and is the principal at the government funded language school where she is currently working. She spends her time with her daughter and grandchildren. She goes to the gym every day, loves the beach, particularly Torremolinos where she reminisces about the time she spent there with her late husband.