Spend time with your family

Something of a leitmotif that phrase, this year.

It was a good thing that Mary went to visit her Mum and Gran last week weekend. Her Gran passed away on Tuesday and we went to Scotland for the funeral on Saturday. A bereavement is always a sad occasion but given Gran Martin's condition it was not unexpected.

On the other hand I learned from Bill this week that X has been advised to go home and spend time with her family. I have known X a quarter of a century. She is only a couple of years older than me and her birthday a few days after mine. When I first came to London way back in 1978 she was one of the "usual suspects" whenever a social outing was required. And we shared a number of birthday celebrations.

Some 18 months ago she had breast cancer (and like my Mum, a mastectomy) which spread to her lungs and now her brain. She is on her third set on increasingly unpleasant chemotherapy. Now the doctors have suggested that she go home to spend time with her family. I suggest you do the same while you still can, and tell them you love them.