Dear Friends

When Christine took ill she left us well provided for. Freezer, fridge and cupboards as usual were full. There was a coffee cake in the tin in the fridge. When Christine died we made that coffee cake last as long as we could, but it couldn’t last forever. Three weeks ago, to my very great joy, I discovered another coffee cake in the freezer. We ate every piece with a deliberation approaching reverence but inevitably, eventually there was just one piece left. It sat there for several days, forlorn and alone in the tin. It was past its best, somewhat dry, when I could finally face finishing it off. But it was still Christine’s coffee cake, the last piece I would ever eat. As I ate it, it was to me both memorial and sacrament. Not only was I reminded of Christine once again but I felt that she was still close to me.