Yesterday news reached me (via social networking) that a 'boy' in my year at school had died, by the sound of things unexpectedly, a couple of weeks back, and that another 'boy', who I knew better as we'd done A level sciences together, had had a fairly major stroke. 

In the afternoon I went to visit a woman of roughly my own age who has advancing MND and now uses an iris controlled keyboard emulator to 'speak'.  She had prepared a welcome message for us, was genuinely interested in our news, smiled and laughed at the funny bits, and ensured that we had a pleasant time.  No one likes to be called 'inspirational' but she is.

It lends a lot of perspective - were any needed - not just on the fragility of life but also the privilege of living in the twenty-first century in a wealthy western democracy where health care is free at the point of delivery.

RIP D

Hope you recover well, R

God bless you and keep you, K