Sad

I was out in the garden this morning, in the sun, quietly communing with nature, when a terrible screaming/yelling from outside the hedge disturbed me. A man and young boy walked by, but the yelling continued just behind them. I watched as the perpetrator came into view. A boy of about six or seven. He stood just by my gate - though he did not see me watching - lifted his face to the sky, and screamed as LOUD as he could. Did the father stop and tell him to stop disturbing the entire neighbourhood? No. Sometimes I despair of modern parenthood.

I shouted, ‘Oi!’ He looked at me, and pleasingly, looked quite startled.
‘Stop that!’ He scuttled off.

Today is the funeral in Ireland of my beloved cousin, Pat. She was quite a bit older than me, but was very much part of my childhood and early teens, when we stayed with my Irish relatives many times a year. Pat was grown up and glamorous, and I was completely in awe of her. Although I haven’t seen her for decades - she developed dementia many years ago, I will always remember her as a dynamic, laughing, singing, fun loving young woman.

RIP Pat.