I love my family. Not just my Mum and my Dad and my two sisters, but my extended family also. It is only in the last few years that I realised that compared to many of the people I know I spent a comparatively large amount of time with them during my childhood, particuarly my grandparents and my great aunt. Normal or not (what is normal anyway?) the older I get, the more I treasure every moment. Almost 10 years after we lost Grandad, last week it was Vera’s turn. As much as I miss her already, I refuse to be sad about the great, long and healthy life she lived. Still, with both Grandad and her gone now, and Nan in a nursing home I am once again reminded of the ever changing nature of life and of my own mortality. For now though I’m going to focus on the memories, of the times we shared and be reminded of how lucky I am to have had such wonderful people in my life.