saying our goodbyes

Yesterday was my friend Emmas funeral.

I had never been to a funeral before and it was really sad that the first one would end up being for my best friend.

When me and my friends would go up to see a show we would always end up getting lost looking for the theatre (despite having a "map" with us) so it was quite fitting that we were driving around the cemetery looking for the chapel...

...she would have been looking down laughing her head off ;o).

The first thing that started me crying yesterday was seeing a huge mound of earth that was waiting to refill the graves that had been dug.

We went into the chapel and sat in the middle, with me sitting between my 2 friends with their husbands sitting either side.  One friend had her arm linked in mine throughout the service.

The service itself was really nice (the priest was prepped with all of her hobbies).  Her coffin came into Memory and she went out to You will never walk alone, I think that these must have ben suggestions of the priest, as as far as I know Emma never saw either of the musicals that these songs came from.

On Emmas order of service they got her date of birth wrong - what a thing to get missed when it was being proof checked!  I can hear Emma saying bloody cheek they got my birthday wrong ;o).

Next came the burial - after the priest did his bit Emmas Dad said some nice words and then through some white petals in and these were passed around to us to throw some in too.  I threw mine in and said goodbye (I didnt really know what else to say to her).

We then got lost finding the pub were her wake was being held, a spread was laid on and tea, coffee & wine.

Happy pancake day everyone ;o)