Visiting Mum in the Chapel of Rest

In the timey whimey way thoughts are coming to me I thought I'd write about the day before Mum's funeral. I'd taken the afternoon off, the weather was horrible, heavy rain. We set off for the funeral director's at about 2.40pm and just about found some where to park. We had to wait for a short time whilst another family left and things were prepared. The Chapel of Rest itself was not what I expected it was respectful enough but not the quietest of atmospheres(essentially just a small side room near their office) it's amazing how little tv and film coverage of death doesn't prepare you for the realities of it. 

We'd been warned that there would be some colourising of Mum's face as it was nearly a month since she'd died. Weirdly this only made her look more alive than the day of her death but the wrinkles and dryness of her hands showed the effects of death, I've probably seen one too many zombie films but honestly she looked so good I expected her to wake up any moment! 

Back to the events of the day, we sat quietly for a few short mins looking at mum then Dad said we should say the Lord's Prayer and say goodbye to her. Dad then had a conversation with the son of the funeral director who was clearly far less organised than his dad and it took  a phone conversation that evening to really get things sorted for the funeral the next day. So there you have it, death not what you expect and nothing prepares you for it.

Written on 22nd November 2015.