“What gets to me are those moments when I’d love him to be here to share what we’re doing,” she said.
In 2006, it came as a huge shock to everyone when the world heard of Steve Irwin's untimely death. The Australian TV host and conservationist was at the peak of his career and used his fame to save as many animals as possible. He was working on an underwater film titled Ocean’s Deadliest when he was stung more than 100 times by a stingray.
He is survived by his wife Terri, daughter Bindi, and son Robert. Bindi Irwin, his firstborn, was eight years old and Robert was two when they lost their father. Now, more than a decade later, the family continues to keep his memories alive, and every now and then, grief creeps up on them.
In an interview with Stellar Magazine Bindi revealed that watching old footage of her father sometimes still moves her to tears. One such instance happened when she assisted with the crocodile display at the Australia Zoo, which was something her late father was famous for.
“It was just an ordinary day and we were playing the video where we petition against the harvesting of crocodile eggs,” she recalled. “There’s old footage of Dad with the crocodiles and, even though I’ve seen the video maybe 50 times, that day I started crying.”
Bindi then admitted some days are harder than others. “What gets to me are those moments when I’d love him to be here to share what we’re doing,” she added.
“It could be when my brother is receiving an accolade for his photography, or it might be at the end of the day when we’re having dinner and laughing. I’ll think: ‘I wish Dad was here for this.’ But he’s just not there.”
In 2018, Bindi spoke about how people told her things would get better with time, but they never did. “I remember people coming up to me and saying, ‘I’m sorry for your loss, sweetheart. Time heals all wounds.’ But that’s just not true,” said Bindi, according to PEOPLE. “It’s like losing a part of your heart, and when you’ve lost that, you never get it back.”
Bindi's mom Terri recently paid tribute to her late husband Steve on the occasion of their 30th wedding anniversary. The pair first met in 1991, and they got married a year later, in 1992. The 58-year-old conservationist and zoo owner shared a throwback snap of her and Steve for the special day. "I married this incredible bloke 30 years ago today," Terri wrote on Twitter. "What an adventure! Love and legacy live on."
While in conversation with The Courier Mail, the conservationist recalled, "You know, and I keep saying this, and I think maybe 15 years later people are finally starting to believe me, Steve was it for me," she confessed. "That's just the way it is," she added. "I had a big, big love and it was enough to last a lifetime."
References:
https://people.com/tv/bindi-irwin-steve-heartbreak-legacy/
https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photos By (L) Jon Kopaloff (R) Australia Zoo
