B eing here is truly a blessing.
It fills my heart with joy to see so many different people, from all over the world, gathered in one place. I love watching those who find fulfilment simply by living in the moment. Isn’t it rare to see someone truly present, not drifting into the future or the past? I think it is. And I wish we could all feel that only today is ours, and that what we have right now is enough.
I find such beauty in people who treat animals with compassion. There is something special in witnessing someone in harmony with nature, respecting, nurturing, and admiring the creatures around them. That quiet harmony reveals a deep inner beauty.
That’s why I love to stop, look around, lay out a blanket, and just watch life unfold.
The clouds… I love clouds. And every time I see one shaped like a heart, I feel as if it’s my Dad sending me a sign that he’s still with me. Everyone around us carries their own story. Families, lovers, children we all gather here for our own reasons. And so did I.
London became my refuge, the place I needed to heal after my father died. If I had stayed in Zagreb, I don’t think I would have been able to move forward. In Zagreb, every street, every corner, the music, football club Dinamo everything carries a memory of him. My Dad was the greatest man I have ever met. Strong on the outside, gentle on the inside, and full of courage and love. He taught me everything about life and protected me in ways only a father can.
It breaks my heart to know I can’t call him anymore. When I’m at a Chelsea vs. Dinamo match, the excitement feels incomplete because I cannot share it with him. Accepting his absence is one of the hardest things I have ever had to face.
As an only child, it was always the three of us Mom, Dad, and me. We were like three fingers on one hand. Dad and I shared a special bond. I was his little twin, and every success was sweeter because it made him proud. Seeing his happiness was my greatest joy.
Surviving his death is the hardest challenge of my life, and the struggle never really ends. Time does not heal everything there is only one father, and he is irreplaceable. The void remains; the pain simply learns to be quiet.
But slowly, my sadness, the shadow of the deepest, unconditional love, is turning into gratitude. I am realizing how lucky I am to have called this man my father, the best human being I have ever known, next to my mother. Everything I am comes from his love, his strength, and the way he lived.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for being my parents. Although it’s hard to accept that my Dad is gone, he never truly left. He lives on in my heart, and as long as I live, he will be with me in every moment and every deed.
I love you, Dad, more than anything in the world. I miss you so much.
This is for you, as you always said: “This is the song of my youth!”
