Where did your name come from?

I was born in Nazareth House and nursing home for new mothers in Geraldton Western Australia in 1946. My parents named me “Henry“.

I was named after my mother’s Father, Henry Riches, who had been the master of a sailing ship before settling in Australia.

He and my uncles spent a great deal of time working almost 24 seven clearing land. The cleared land was planted for crops and also became a very good grazing country. This was in the midwest of Western Australia.

I was named after my grandfather because he was a fine, upstanding, progressive and positively thinking person who knew how to say “no“ to foolish things. He was apparently resolute, forward-looking, a very pragmatic, realistic but also an empathetic person. He thought about and cared for others and was an outstanding father and family man.

My Mother envisaged me with those same attributes and so therefore named me after him.

I vaguely remember my grandfather, but I recall only ever having seen him once and that was just before him being hospitalised in his later years with tuberculosis. He passed away at the age of 86 when I was only four years old.

I’ve seen pictures of him and he did look like a resolution person with a determined jaw.

Naturally, my recall of him is very vague but he was always uphill to me, particularly by my mother. Whether I grow up to be like him I don’t know and in any case believe that everybody is their own person and should never be considered as someone who should be like a clone of others.

My name notwithstanding, others will be the judge of my life. But I do appreciate the character strength that my grandfather possessed.

I am now 77, nine years younger than my grandfather when he passed away.

The place of my birth, Nazareth House in Geraldton still stands. But its role has a juxtaposition. No longer is it a nursing home for birthing mothers. Rather it is a retirement home for old people, with staff supporting those who are chronologically enhanced through their end years.

This leaves me to wonder whether I should look To returning to the place of my birth to prepare for my exit from this mortal life.