My family has had a bereavement. Our relative died in the early hours of Tuesday morning. I rushed up arriving at 8 the same morning. We stayed over night and all the next day. Returning late last night. He had been chronically ill for over a year and the death was expected at anytime. But he had soldiered on bravely with the love and comfort of his large, immediate and extended family. He was a remarkable man much loved by us all. We are bereft. We were told he had to have a P.M because he hadn't seen his G.P recently. ( he was under 3 specialist hospitals) There was a delay because there had been a bank holiday. We cannot make any arrangements until we have the death certificate. We have to wait until we receive a telephone call which may or may not be tomorrow. If it's after 3 we won't be seen by the funeral directors until Monday. We have no idea how long a burial takes to organise. I have a horrible feeling that it may not be until the week of the 8th September. Almost three weeks after the event. It's pure torture. We are in limbo. His wife of 53 years is doing a sterling job of dealing with things. Apart from this horrible waiting the pressure on all the family is beyond torture. No one can in this current climate can take three weeks off work. So here we are grieving, having to go back to work when we need to be together as a family. Being at work but worrying about his immediate family. Worrying about taking time off for the funeral, worrying about giving support following the funeral. Lots of us live 300 miles away so on top of everything else there lots of travelling. My own husband is appalled. He is Irish and tells me that even in an unexpected death there wouldn't be this delay. They bury their dead within a week. So the family come together support each other with the shock and grief arrange the funeral and are able to support the vulnerable following the funeral because employers or the self employed can often take a week off. They don't have the added anxiety of going to work or indeed worrying about taking time off. Sorry if this post is a bit gibberishy but I'm upset, tired and wholly grief stricken. I want to be sitting around the big kitchen table supporting and being supported by my wonderful Liverpool family. Not here on my own upset after holding it together at work and having messages that I have to attend an interview about it next week with my team leader. (They may very well be understanding, but everything is so 'policy ridden' now that they may not) very very very
Things you find stressful that other people don't notice.
Is there such a thing as delicious ready meals?
Water Pollution -“ A National Disgrace”? A case for renationalisation?