I've not been around much the past couple of months, it hasn't been a good time. First, I missed my brother's Golden Wedding Anniversary celebrations, there were rail strikes and a heatwave... I had hummed and hawed about it, because seeing them took me straight back to the complex relationship with the woman who gave birth to us (Mother was Greek and had such a preference for my Brother that my Father used to say "you have two children, you know!") there was little he could do he had to live with her...
I was saying to everyone, how many Golden Wedding celebrations have every member of the wedding party still alive and compos mentis, meaning the bride and groom, the best man and all three bridesmaids..
Sadly, my Sister-in Law's Auntie, who although in her 90s, had all her mental faculties, but was recovering from her second hip transplant, died suddenly on the Monday before the Anniversary lunch. Auntie D was a kind and wise person, who, became an Auntie to me and her loss was more complicated because she died on mother's birthday. Then a month ago, came a phone call from my devastated Sis-in-law, she went to find my Brother and he was unresponsive, he had died, according to the coroner there was no discernible cause of death and we only just have a date for his funeral and cremation. I had had to represent my Brother's family at Auntie D's funeral because S-i-L and her sons and their children all had covid. Then 3 days after my brother, a musician whom I admire died suddenly at only 51, life is feeling a bit crap....
I am wrung out and still numb.
However, I have managed to find a couple of ways to honour my brother's memory for ME, in the week approaching his funeral (I had booked this before my brother died) there is a concert locally by a band he first introduced me to who are on their 50th anniversary tour and in the New Year, at the Barbican there is a concert again by a musician that my brother introduced me to. I have my ticket and a room booked at the Easy Hotel nearby. My cousin lives in London, so I hope to meet up with her the next day. So, somethings that will help me I hope.
I was saying to everyone, how many Golden Wedding celebrations have every member of the wedding party still alive and compos mentis, meaning the bride and groom, the best man and all three bridesmaids..
Sadly, my Sister-in Law's Auntie, who although in her 90s, had all her mental faculties, but was recovering from her second hip transplant, died suddenly on the Monday before the Anniversary lunch. Auntie D was a kind and wise person, who, became an Auntie to me and her loss was more complicated because she died on mother's birthday. Then a month ago, came a phone call from my devastated Sis-in-law, she went to find my Brother and he was unresponsive, he had died, according to the coroner there was no discernible cause of death and we only just have a date for his funeral and cremation. I had had to represent my Brother's family at Auntie D's funeral because S-i-L and her sons and their children all had covid. Then 3 days after my brother, a musician whom I admire died suddenly at only 51, life is feeling a bit crap....
I am wrung out and still numb.
However, I have managed to find a couple of ways to honour my brother's memory for ME, in the week approaching his funeral (I had booked this before my brother died) there is a concert locally by a band he first introduced me to who are on their 50th anniversary tour and in the New Year, at the Barbican there is a concert again by a musician that my brother introduced me to. I have my ticket and a room booked at the Easy Hotel nearby. My cousin lives in London, so I hope to meet up with her the next day. So, somethings that will help me I hope.
My thoughts are with you.
