another farewell...

and the end of an era for me...

5.5.1926 - 13.4.2015

eileen, 'aunty eil', my mother's best friend of 80 years, died on monday, april 13 at 11.05am... she was such a strong presence throughout my life... she was feisty, funny, one of a kind and i love her deeply...

she was recently diagnosed with secondary liver cancer, given 2 months to live, but she didn't last that long, dying 2 weeks after diagnosis... she lost her spark long before that though - she was heartbroken when my mother died 9 months ago - she'd lost her lifelong friend, her confidante, her 'soulmate'... i will miss her terribly but am thankful she never lingered to suffer at length..

her funeral was yesterday and lots of stories and laughs were shared and many tears shed, and we all got a giggle as she made her final journey to the soundtrack of the number 96 tram that went past her building every day... eileen and judy lived on the esplanade in st kilda opposite the beach, with a tram stop virtually out the front for the last 20 years of their lives - they loved their flats and never felt comfortable if they couldn't see the beach and hear the trams - those two things epitomised home to them both so it was a classic, fitting farewell...

bye eil, you were always there for me... i'll miss our conversations and laughs together, i'll miss the shoulder you always offered in my times of need, i'll miss you wonderful womonxxx