No Photograph Day

Today is a no photograph day.  My wife's mother had been getting more and more infirm over recent months and passed away yesterday morning.  It wasn't unexpected - the care home in which she resided phoned us at the weekend and told us it was time to allow family visitations (the first for a couple of months).  Only my wife went from our side of the family and had to be masked and suited up before entering the home.  The home doesn't have any COVID-19 cases, so it was more a case of protection to prevent the virus coming in rather than protecting visitors from it.  It's been a tough few days - it's only a two-hour round trip but there were a lot of them at all times of the day the night.  Given the restrictions, the service and burial took place this morning - there was no delay.  Only immediate family were allowed - but I was still nervous, so I stayed outside in the open air as much as possible and kept my distance from other mourners.  'Nanny' as we all called her turned 89 years old in January of this year.   She had a long life but a hard one - her husband was invalided through a work accident so there was never much money coming in.  He passed away at the age of 50, back in 1981, so she had a lot of years on her own.  Ten years after losing her husband, she lost a daughter to cancer.   I only knew her in later years but was a very dignified lady and was always supportive.  She was much loved and will be sorely missed. 

Mary (Maureen) Budd, 1931-2020.