Rest in peace

Today, after a brief but somewhat ineffective sojourn at work, I headed off to Bradford for my aunt's funeral. It seems odd, that word 'aunt' - she was never Auntie Gloria, just Gloria or Glo.

It was a nice funeral, as these things go. Gloria had requested that everyone wear bright clothes (I'm afraid I let her down there, being a dream in monochrome lol) and, as the hearse pulled up outside the church, we all smiled to see a bright yellow coffin ringed with white daisies.

She was never a sheep, so her choice of music was a bit unconventional too - the full gospel version of I Will Follow Him from Sister Act and, to end the service, Doris Day belting out The Deadwood Stage, which raised many a wry chuckle.

The wake was held in her local but, being not very good with people, I only stayed an hour or so to chat to a few people. I headed over to the cemetery down the road to say hello to mum, via my cousin (from the other side of the family) Janine's shop which is just around the corner. She's a florist and did me a lovely little bunch of blooms for mum (Frames for Flowers on Clayton Road if you're ever in the area).

As I was making my 'cheerio' rounds in the pub, my cousin Andrea, whose mum's funeral it was, said "I've got something for you". A minute later she came back with this. Her parents' invitation to my parents' wedding. Having been dry eyed and hanky-less all day, I was in tears. Partly at what I was holding, a piece of my parents' (who have both passed away) history. And partly because, in such a time of grief for them, they had thought of me.

That's family for you.

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