I went to lunchtime Mass at the Chaplaincy of St. Thomas More today to offer mass for my Mam and Dad, it would have been their wedding anniversary. Along with other significant days I always put flowers on their grave on this day every year. Knowing I'd be away, I put flowers there before I came away and prayed for them as much as I could at Mass - they were wonderful parents.

Then I went to have afternoon tea with a poet I admire very much indeed. I won't mention his name, not everyone likes their business scattered all over a blog site and I wish to respect his privacy. Suffice it to say that much of the man that comes across in his poetry is present in the character so it was wonderful meeting him, and I walked back to Corpus in a lovely warm poetry haze.

And what an emotional end to an emotional day. Brian phoned me just before seven to tell me that he'd gone and visited the grave of my parents and placed flowers there. He knows I never miss their anniversary so decided to go in my stead - it reduced me to tears when he told me and it meant such a lot. It will be our 42nd wedding anniversary shortly after I get back home. Maybe I will try and hang onto him for another 40+ years. What a wonderful act of love and respect.