Feeling Mortal

On Saturday came a phone call I'd been half expecting but hoping not to get, telling me that a friend of my mother-in-law had died. This is someone I've known for almost as long as I've known my husband - he partly rewired our first home before we moved in. A genius at growing leeks as well as many other vegetables in his garden, always cheerful - he'll be sorely missed in their neighbourhood. Although some years older than me, I never thought of him as elderly, and he often seemed to have more energy than I had until very recently. God bless you, George.
Today's shopping therefore included sympathy cards. I was somewhat taken aback to find that fully a quarter of the display in the shop was of Christmas cards - a little early I felt. I did succeed in finding two suitable cards and fitted in a quick visit to my mother to let her sign hers before I delivered them and spent some time with my mother-in-law who's naturally very upset.
The rest of the day was taken up with two contrasting meetings: one on cemetery and memorial management followed by one to finalise a bid to Big Lottery for funds for play equipment and activities in the Borough. Both are important in different ways but the former is much more sensitive and difficult to manage.
Home late, and catching up on the 60 or so e-mails which had arrived in my inbox during these meetings and visits when our home phone rang. My husband's gasp of horror brought me dashing into the room, to be told that a friend of ours from Interchurch Families had died suddenly. May he rest in Peace.