IN CELEBRATION

UPDATE ON MY BIRTHDAY
Well I am absolutely frazzled after such an early start, and most of my day has been spent at a funeral.A long term family friend, Emily Butler died, she was 93. I have known her since I was 14 and she was an absolute star. A lady in the true sense with a fantastic sense of humor. As the years have passed my attitude to dying has changed so much, when they have lived a full life like Emily then their passing at a good age holds no regrets only peace and is a blessed release. It was an honour to have known her. Her family were all at the funeral and it was nice to see them all again.
Whilst we were standing at the grave I was reminded of a story, forgive me for not remembering it exactly but I shall try my best. I was about a mother whose child died and she was so distraught that she took the dead child to a wise man and begged him to bring her son back. The wise man told her to go to the houses of all the people in the town and collect a pebble
( I can't remember what it was exactly) from the homes of all those who had not lost someone and suffered. She was not able to find any house that had not lost someone and suffered and so was able to accept the loss of her child.
As I stood at the grave I looked at the group of people who had come together, family and friends, people I have known for over 30 years and I could not see a person that had not lost a child, a husband, a wife , a parent or a loved one. Such is the path of life, we love, we care and loved ones pass on and we carry on but not forgetting. I still think of loved ones who have left my life and I think of them in the way you think of a relative that you do not see very often but you think of every now and then with affection.
So whilst going to a funeral on your birthday is not what most people would choose, celebrating the life of a great lady was a fine thing to do.