Pretty Woman.

My Eulogy.

I seem to have inherited some of The Old Lady's philosophies, such as
“Life is a battle against advancing years, but you shouldn't concede the struggle too readily,” and,
"In an ideal world, while growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional."

Let me give you a few examples:

When she was 60, she won her tennis club's mixed-doubles championship. In the final, the other three players were youths and her opponents' strategy was simple - every shot should be played to the old lady - she would soon tire. There was only one thing that could possibly go wrong.

Ten years further on, while out shopping with her, I saw her, apparently stumbling up the Henleaze Road.
"Are you o.k. Mum?" I asked;
"Yes."
"Well, what are you doing then?"
"I'm not stepping on the cracks in the pavement - in case of the bears."

For her 80th birthday, we celebrated by going for a 15 mile hike over the Sussex downs. One of the dogs didn't keep up - but she did.

Again, when she was 90, while walking through Blaise Woods, I caught her shuffling her feet through the carpet of dried leaves for the simple pleasure of hearing the rustle that it made.
Two years later she acquired her first computer - and learnt how to use it; she had written a sizeable chunk of her autobiography on it before her eyes started to fail; and - she could "Google" with the best of them.

On her 100th birthday she was still planning her future; the phrase, "When I get better" comes to mind

So, if ever you see an elderly lady avoiding stepping on the lines, or shuffling through the leaves, do, please, have a kind word for her.

The following poem from "When We Were Very Young" is at the request of Peter, the minister.

Whenever I walk in a London street
I’m ever so careful to watch my feet,
And I keep in the squares.
And the masses of bears,
Who wait at the corners all ready to eat
The sillies who tread on the lines in the street,
Go back to their lairs;
And I say to them, ‘Bears,
Just look how I’m walking in all of the squares!’

And the little bears growl to each other, "He's mine,
As soon as he's silly and steps on a line."
And some of the bigger bears try to pretend
That they came round the corner to look for a friend;
And they try to pretend that nobody cares
Whether you walk on the lines or squares.
But only the sillies believe their talk;
It's ever so portant how you walk.
And it's ever so jolly to call out, "Bears,
Just watch me walking in all the squares!"