Last night I organised a repayment to DWP of an overpayment on my Mum's benefits whilst she was in hospital; it was remarkably easy and hassle free, and their demands seemed totally reasonable.

This morning I spoke to the care home to check some details on the paperwork, and to ensure that any necessary financial tweaks are in place.  Again it could not have been easier, or the person I spoke to more pleasant.

Each of these makes me feel very grateful, as we, as a family, enter what for us is a whole new world where we don't know the rules or expectations, where, if not scary, everything is unfamiliar and a bit bewildering.

It suits my admin/science brain to sort all paperwork and to co-ordinate the practical matters.  At the same time it is a huge learning curve and makes me very grateful that I am young enough and clear enough of mind/thought to process information and research options.

It is also time-consuming and energy-demanding... I am so fortunate/blessed to have a life that allows me to make calls during office hours, to work away for a few days when needed, and so on.  And I am fortunate/blessed to have good enough health to cope with the physical demands (around three thousand miles travelled in the last month, mostly overnight!).

It serves as a strong reminder that so many other people live like this all the time - travelling, working away, supporting elderly parents at huge distances... It's a whole new world, and at the moment quite an intense one.

Lots to ponder, and hopefully learning things that will make me a better pastor in future... until now I never understood what this world was really like.