In memory of my amazing brother Joga Dhillon

20/4/73 - 26/8/10

 

During the last year since he took his own life i found out how many hearts my brother had touched,everyone who's rung,written or spoken to me has mentioned his smile and the fact he never walked past someone he bumped into without stopping to talk or share a quip.

 

He was more than a brother to me,he was my best friend,my cycling companion,my playing football with rolled up socks in the kitchen mate and a myriad of other things,i always used to say i've never had a best friend as i flit between countless social circles now i know why…no one could ever replace my brother!

 

He was a comedian at home,he could do impersonations of lot's of people,commentator's,actors and my mum!

He used to ring my sister and in Indian start conversing with her until he burst into laughter or sometimes when she rung home he'd say my mum was out down the pub or out breakdancing…there was rarely a serious answer!

One of his favourite pastimes was 'Adjusting' the family photo's with biro…i think this is how Photoshop started!

 

This continued when we were out…we hardly ever went anywhere without making each other laugh,usually a look or a weird word (We had our own words for certain things) once we were sitting in the doctors surgery and a man walked in,when asked his name by reception he replied "Muhammed Ali" of course me and Joga burst into laughter and continued laughing as everyone sat there stone faced!

That type of humour continued everywhere we went…mainly when i was trying to do something serious.

 

I think Joga was extraordinarily brave to make the decision he did that fateful day and whatever pushed him to that dark place has now subsided and he is at peace,i'm grateful he made the choice rather than it be from outside influences and as such i stand by his decision be it right or wrong,that is for him to judge not me or any of us.

 

He will be sorely missed by friends and family and his smile will live on in many hearts.

 

We both share a love of nature and especially big cat's so i took a decision to do something in his memory that will help try save these great creatures.