Its a strange thing – after cracking a bottle of bubbly at midnight and offering the toast “good riddance to 2004” my expectations for 2005 are high.
This morning my Mum called from the UK to inform me that her only brother, Bill Mellor, had passed away at the age of 78 this morning at 5.20am UK time.
All agree (as much as one can) that this was a blessed relief as he has suffered from a long and wasting illness. His wife and only son were with him at the passing.
My feelings go out to my cousin David because I know how much my own father’s death affected me in 1998 – a severe loss and an event which I have never really recovered from.
New Years Day – a time of endings as well as beginnings.
Here’s to the New Year.