The circle is getting smaller

On Friday I went to Christchurch to accompany Nana to the funeral of her long time friend Marijke. Both Adrian and Maria have told me over the weekend that they remember Marijke. When my family moved to Christchurch in 1972 Mum and Marijke met because they both attended the same church and lived close to each other with children of roughly similar ages. Marijke's husband Alan worked as a postie but really would have rather been an artist or poet. You might recall the painting that Nana had in pride of place of Papa on the golf course - that was painted by Alan. I would note it has been taken off wall replaced by the canvas of Boyd clan from wedding!!Anyway Marijke who had been in a rest home for about a year died a week ago. Her family had been trying to get hold of Nana without success as Nana was in Auckland without her cellphone. One of them remembered that I worked for Arthritis NZ and called me at work. Telling Nana another friend had died was not an easy task. It took some persuading ( possibly bullying) but eventually Nana agred to go back to Chch for funeral. And I went to.

First time I think I had been back to St Margaret's church since January 1979. St Margaret's, along with being the place where Nana and Marijke met, was the place where Tony and I got married.

Nana is very conscious that her circle of friends is shrinking quite fast - lots of gaps from people who have died and a few from friends who have moved into care in different towns to be closer to family. The price you pay for being 88 can sometimes feel very high.