The bereaved wife and mother of a father and son who died in a drowning incident in Co Donegal has written of her heartache in a moving personal letter.
Jonathan Christian, aged 53 and his 17-year-old son both lost their lives in a tragic accident at Lough Keel outside Kilmacrennan on 18th June.
A family fishing trip ended in tragedy when the teenage boy fell into the lake and Jonathan jumped in to try and save him. Another fifteen-year-old son survived the tragedy.
The family members had been living in Douglas on the Isle of Man and were visiting a holiday home at Coolboy at the time.
In a poignant letter, Mrs Jonathan Christian describes the immense grief of losing two cherished loved ones and recalls their many wonderful qualities:
To Whom This May Concern,
The loss of my husband and son is inexplicable. The pain and grief that penetrates into every fibre of my being, so deeply and acutely that there is no consolation that can begin to reach the depths of my sorrow.
Jonathan was a very talented and accomplished man. In his humility he did not boast of his abilities, but quietly accomplished many great and wonderful things throughout his lifetime. We, as his wife and children, were always at the heart of his efforts and his sole focus was to better our lives. He was a property developer, builder, renovator and carpenter latterly. He was a business owner and manufacturer and enjoyed creating, making and building a variety of things. He was an entrepreneur and a visionary man with many hopes and dreams, all for his family, for our future. He achieved success as an artist, a sculptor. He was an aspiring writer with a creative mind and a beautiful soul. He loved his family completely, even to the laying down of his own life.
My son, oh my son, so beautiful, body, mind and spirit. He has a pure heart. He was a talented musician and he played the guitar, ukulele, violin, Native American flute and ocarina, and he could sing…the most beautiful voice; a singer and song writer.He was constantly improving and increasing his talents through his dedicated efforts. He loved his family beyond measure and would give his all in doing what he felt and knew to be right and true. I could never have asked for a more wonderful son. He is a pure blessing to me and of the greatest joy in my world. He always gave 10,000% in all that he did. When he would desire to learn something, he would put his whole heart into it. He was honest and a hard worker, selfless, thoughtful and kind.
In these few words, I can only begin to touch the surface of who they are. As with all those who go ahead, the hearts of those who remain who love them, are filled with so much more, so much beyond measure. They blessed our lives in mortality and they will continue to bless our lives in the eternities.
In some of what I have said, I have used past tense, however, my personal faith has given me a testimony of life beyond this mortal sphere. I believe God the Father and His son Jesus Christ and the angels are with them now. Their life and light carries on into the eternities, all of who they are, all of their knowledge and the talents and gifts they possess are still with them and part of who they are eternally. I believe our family will be together for time and all eternity.
During this time, while we are separated, their lives are to be honoured and cherished. We are to live our lives in such a way that we honour them by who we are, the good we do, the love we share by helping and lifting others and the faith we keep as we endure until we are with them again.
Mrs Jonathan Christian
