March Reflections

March has been a month of rain and rainbows – to say nothing of snow flurries and extremes in temperature. Mostly it’s been a month of painful loss, claiming three brave and beloved people through the relentlessness of cancer.

G, youngest of my husband’s siblings, was thoughtful, open and generous. I knew him as a mischievous little boy who grew into a wonderful man, full of life and good humour, always comfortable to be around.  Loving husband, devoted parent and indulgent grandfather, he will be terribly missed and fondly remembered.

Five days after G’s death, a dear friend died. B was a talented artist, quiet and spiritual. One of her pottery creations, an Irish castle, graces our mantle. Predeceased by her husband, she leaves a son and several siblings to mourn her passing.

Reassuringly, the third week of March began with a rainbow. Proofs of The Dúns and The Belvedere at Stone Gate arrived from Borealis Press, satisfying even without covers. Emails confirm that the proof reader’s critical eye continues to finds glitches here and there, reassuring me that all is well in the publishing realm.

Nonetheless, the week wore on with sorrowful expectation until today, start of week four, we received news that the second youngest sibling in my husband’s family has slipped away. M was introspective, loyal and sensitive, an introvert with a wry sense of humour who often hid behind a front of bravado. She was dearly loved by family and friends. Her daughter and granddaughter were her pride and joy.

In The Belvedere ‘Acknowledgements’, M is thanked among those who generously critiqued the original manuscript of the book.  How feeble words seem in honouring cherished souls no longer with us.

Lux ӕtérna lúceat eis, Dómine. Light eternal shine upon them, O Lord.