I just recently had a chance to read a little bit about Steve Irwin’s Memorial Service. It is estimated that as many as 300 million people worldwide watched the service. That’s incredible. Even more incredible was the eulogy that was given by his eight year old daughter Bindi. Without a tear, she said this:<\/p>\n
“\u00e2\u20ac\u0153My Daddy was my hero – he was always there for me when I needed him. He listened to me and taught me so many things but most of all he was fun. I know that Daddy had an important job. He was working to change the world so everyone would love wildlife like he did. He built a hospital to help animals and he bought lots of land to give animals a safe place to live. He took me and my brother and my mum with him all the time. We filmed together, caught crocodiles together and loved being in the bush together. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want Daddy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s passion to ever end. I want to help endangered wildlife just like he did. I have the best Daddy in the whole world and I will miss him every day. When I see a crocodile I will always think of him and I know that Daddy made this zoo so everyone could come and learn to love all the animals. Daddy made this place his whole life and now it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s our turn to help Daddy.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
How’s that for a tribute from a daughter to her dad? Pretty amazing huh?<\/p>\n
I also just recently ran across a really nice poem written as a tribute to Steve by a man named Rupert McCall. Check this out:<\/p>\n
THE CROCODILES ARE CRYING<\/p>\n Endless visions fill my head \u00e2\u20ac\u201c this man \u00e2\u20ac\u201c as large as life His animals inclusive \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Crikey \u00e2\u20ac\u201c light the place with love! Exploding forth with character and redefining cheek But that was where he had it right \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I guess he always knew Yes the more I care to think of it \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the more he had it right A world so large and loyal that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard to comprehend \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6My daughter broke the news to me \u00e2\u20ac\u201c my six year old in tears Their best mate\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s up in heaven now \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the crocs up there are smiling! As sure as \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcCrikey!\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 fills the sky RUPERT McCALL 2006<\/em><\/p>\n Well said Rupert. Well said.<\/p>\n –Pete<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I just recently had a chance to read a little bit about Steve Irwin’s Memorial Service. It is estimated that as many as 300 million people worldwide watched the service. That’s incredible. Even more incredible was the eulogy that was given by his eight year old daughter Bindi. Without a tear, she said this: “\u00e2\u20ac\u0153My […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.minnesotageek.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.minnesotageek.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.minnesotageek.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.minnesotageek.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.minnesotageek.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.minnesotageek.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.minnesotageek.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.minnesotageek.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.minnesotageek.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAnd instantly my heart mourns for his angels and his wife
\nBecause the way I see Steve Irwin \u00e2\u20ac\u201c just put everything aside
\nIt comes back to his family \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it comes back to his pride<\/p>\n
\nShine his star with everything he fought to rise above
\nThe crazy-man of Khaki from the day he left the pouch
\nLiving out his dream and in that classic \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcStevo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 crouch<\/p>\n
\nIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one thing to be honoured as a champion unique
\nIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one thing to have microphones and spotlight cameras shoved
\nIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s another to be taken in and genuinely loved<\/p>\n
\nFrom his fathers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 modest reptile park and then Australia Zoo
\nWe cringed at times and shook our heads \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but true to natures call
\nThere was something very Irwin in the make up of us all<\/p>\n
\nIf you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to make a difference \u00e2\u20ac\u201c make it big and make it bright!
\nYes – he was a lunatic! Yes – he went head first!
\nBut he made the world feel happy with his energetic burst<\/p>\n
\nI doubt we truly count the warmth until life meets an end
\nTo count it now I say a prayer with words of inspiration
\nMay the spotlight shine forever on his dream for conservation<\/p>\n
\nIt was like she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d just turned old enough to show her honest fears
\nI tried to make some sense of it but whilst her Dad was trying
\nHis little girl explained it best\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6she said \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The crocodiles are crying\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\nAnd as sure as flowers, poems and cards and memories are piling
\nAs sure as we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll continue with the trademarks of his spiel
\nOf all the tributes worthy \u00e2\u20ac\u201c he was rough\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6but he was real<\/p>\n
\nI think we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll miss ya Steve\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6goodbye<\/p>\n