Goodnight Mrs That'll be that then...

I moaned to David earlier today that the photo I planned to blip this evening was beyond boring.  Oh how I wish I was uploading that blip now and not this one.

We received the sad news this evening that our wonderful friend and ex-work college Anna passed away this evening.  We are truly devastated.

We last saw Anna and her lovely husband Eddie in January.  It was an impromptu get together and I am so glad now that we did it.  I blipped it and the blip explains how we met and came to be friends.

Anna was a force to be reckoned with.  Strong, fearless, feisty, passionate about her work and those she loved, loyal, hilariously funny, clever, and the straightest talker I have ever known.  With Anna, a spade was most definitely a f*cking shovel!  You certainly knew where you stood with her at all times!  :-)

And beneath that tough exterior lay the softest and kindest and most generous of hearts.  

I had three relationships with Anna.

Firstly as Alan's teacher and Group Leader of Nursery 2 during his time at The Craighalbert Centre (The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairment.)  She terrified me at first.  This strong, forthright, woman with the mega watt smile.  But Alan loved her from the start.  

I didn't know it then, but he has a type.  He adores strong women who treat him as an equal, make him laugh and see past his physical limitations to the typical lad beneath.  Anna was among the first of those kind of women in his life.  She taught him and me, so much.

My second relationship with Anna was as a work colleague, when I began my thirteen year career at Craighalbert setting up the Family Support Service.  She already had my respect as a parent but it more than doubled when I saw from the other side, the amount of work and effort she put into her job and all the children in her care.  

And thirdly I knew her as friend.  So many happy times shared, lots of Burns Suppers where Eddie made the best soup, ladies' lunches, jewellery parties, spending time with us on holiday in France...many, many happy memories seared in my head and heart. 

I’m not going to tell Alan till Christmas is over. There’s no point. I’m not sure how much he understands death. He likes us to talk about both his grans and great Gran fairly regularly and to look at their photos. Quite often his plan for “next week” is to go and visit them in heaven. I assume in his mind Anna will join them to be visited by him “next week.”

My heart goes out to Eddie. They were each others rocks and complete soul mates. He will be absolutely lost at the minute.


Thank you Anna, for everything.  You will be so missed.  Sleep tight x.