Crematorium Cat

It's been a bit of a funereal day today.  I think Dickens would have approved!

My day started with a funeral planning visit to a family who will be burying their 36 year old partner, mother, daughter, sister next week.  It will be my responsibility to make sure that they are able to send her on her way with dignity and love.  They want to release 99 red balloons into the sky as we come out of church at the end of the service.  The four children are going to help me "organise" that.

Then I went on to the cremation service for the 93 year old lady who lived next door to my parents when I was a child.  It was good to see my childhood companions, her son and daughter.  I haven't seen them for many years.  This shot is of the cat who was basking in the sunshine on a bench in the area where all the flowers are displayed at the end of the service.  The undertakers told me that he is always there, keeping a beady eye on things.  The minister conducting the service got things rather muddled up which was a shame...

Then I went back to church to the funeral of the mother of my first boyfriend!  How long ago was that?  48 years or thereabouts.  She was always very kind to me and I was pleased to be able to be there.  That was a very different funeral to the ones I have seen lately - much more formal.

Interesting.