DD's beautiful funeral.

Yesterday we laid our precious daughter to rest in a woodland cemetery about half an hour away. She didn't want a religious ceremony but it was spiritual in every way.

Despite a worrying weather forecast at the beginning of the week, there was hardly a cloud in the bluest of skies and a gentle breeze kept us cool as we walked across the wildflower meadow following the hearse. The only sound was birdsong. DH whispered, 'stone curlews' as I held on to my emotions - and him.

The service was simple and comforting. Her elder son gave a eulogy, DD2 read a personal tribute and her younger son read the beautiful poem, 'I am standing upon the seashore' by Henry van Dyke,' which I discovered on another thread on Gransnet. After the committal we listened to George Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass' cleverly provided by DSil via his iPhone and blue tooth speaker.

After the funeral tea I dismantled the beautifully arranged casket spray and made individual posies for guests to take home. There's a rule at the burial ground that all floral tributes must be cleared away after five days and I couldn't bear the thought of having to return to the sight of dead flowers. DD would have approved of my last minute 'brainwave.'

So, today I'm exhausted, relieved that it all went so well and sad because everyone has gone home but we both need to rest now. The last four months have drained us, physically and emotionally.

I am going to miss her so much.