Six months after the death of her husband, Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt’s widow Lyndsay has spoken exclusively to Hello! about how she is helping their twins Tommy and Lily adjust to life without the father they idolised as they celebrate their ninth birthday. “It’s the first birthday they have celebrated without Dad, so it’s a horrendous hurdle for us all,” Lyndsay, 58, tells Hello!.
“Lily and Tommy came in to me first thing this morning with their birthday cards. Lily was subdued. She picked up a card and used her little finger to rip it open across the top of the envelope. She said, ‘This is how Daddy opened his cards. If Daddy was here, he would be giving me a card, too.’ “It absolutely floored me. I choked up and said, ‘Of course he would, my darling.’ It was very emotional. This is a major milestone in their lives – their first birthday without their dad. I know nothing I do or say can replace the loss of the father they idolised.”
© Photo: HELLO!Lyndsay Parfitt with her children Tommy and Lily
And she says she is planning to keep Father’s Day low-key for the children. “It will be low-key and I won’t make a fuss. The first year of losing someone you love is always the toughest. I tell myself I must stay strong for the children’s sakes, but special days like birthdays or anniversaries can hurt like hell.”
READ: Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt dies at 68
Despite this, Lyndsay is trying to be as strong as she can and taking each day as it comes. “Nobody tells you how to cope after bereavement – you just have to get on with it and stay mentally strong,” she says. “I have moments of weakness every single day, but I try to be tough. “Rick lived his life to the full and I hope Tommy and Lily will do the same. When I look at the twins, I see the richness and happiness they brought to Rick’s life and my life and that gives me comfort.”
Read the full article in HELLO! out now.
