On the morning of Valentine's Day I knelt by the side of my best beloved, held her hand, read a Psalm or two and prayed with her. And she slipped gently away into the arms of her Saviour.
She'd become increasingly frail over the last year. Her mild dementia occasionally made her puzzled about this and that, and her decreasing mobility made it more difficult to do some of the things she enjoyed. But she remained cheerful as ever, and her smile would still light up her face, and the room, and she was so appreciative of other people and what was done for her.
She'd caught the flu in January, and though most symptoms were minimal, it took away the strength in her legs. We moved a bed downstairs, and various social services and NHS teams got involved – they were brilliant. On 14th February she told one of the carers who was helping her get up that she'd slept like a log. But 5 or 10 minutes later she had a bit of an episode that led to her becoming unconscious. A Frailty Team nurse arrived at that moment, did a quick assessment, instigated CPR and rang 999. Paramedics came quickly, but it was to no avail.
We had nearly 53 years together, and from 2011 to 2023 had enjoyed adventuring on the canals on Erin Mae. That was a very special period, chronicled in this blog. I am more grateful to God than I can properly say for all that she meant to me. But I am also grateful that the Lord took her as and when he did, sparing her further pain and indignity.
The committal is this Saturday, in a woodland burial ground near us. Then, at 11.30, we shall gather in our church for a Thanksgiving Service. And we shall do just that – give thanks to God for her. We're doing a live stream of the service for those who wanted to be there, but couldn't be. So if anyone at all is reading this post, you'd be more than welcome to join us on line as well:
https://youtube.com/live/ltr1If27FcA?feature=share.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death
(1 Corinthians 15:26)
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
(Revelation 21:4)
