One birthday and a funeral

It was a bit of a sad day. My cousin Tony, eldest of my generation, died on Wednesday and was buried today. God love him, he hasn't been in the whole of his health for several years, and all the usual statements about 'it's a blessed relief' and 'isn't he better off, really' were trotted out. But it's difficult all the same: Tony was the first of our generation to die, and this brings home to you the whole thing about mortality and so on.

All in all, not the best of moments, and all the more poignant because the funeral was on the same day as my birthday. I headed to Dundalk bright and early, found my way to the funeral house, paid my respects to what was left of my cousin, and did the usual churchy thing. After that it was a matter of reminiscing about the past in true funeral style, then back to the big smoke and on to meet Carl for drinks before going to Dax restaurant for a lovely birthday meal. Very much a day of two halfs.