No time for time

The intense focus on producing the large scale bid finally came to an end and we were out of the bunker. Hopefully this was the end of the beginning and we await the clients response. The activity will be reawakened with the client feedback in preparation for our presence at the 'dog and pony' show next week.

Friday was to be a relaxed lunch with a friend and colleague that would have finished a great week off. Well if all things had run to plan. Instead repeated missed calls from Truda told a different story. It was not our son, it was his great grandmother. Hurriedly packed bags and we were in the car for the six hour drive to Devon from York.

We were lucky - the last Friday of half term is probably the easiest Friday of all if you need to do a long journey. The previous Friday would have been the opposite.

Six hours later we were at the hospital and Truda went inside to see her grandmother. Ninety-three years had taken their toll. Multiple complications and a sedentary life for at least two decades finally wears you down. She was sleeping peacefully and rested quietly that night.

Phoenix seemed to sense what was going on and was on his best behaviour - quite a stretch for a boisterous nineteen month old boy. We stayed with family for the night and returned to the hospital the next day. As we arrived to the private side ward great grandmother was somewhere between sleeping, consciousness and that final moment.

Truda was loving and Phoenix was quietly curious to see her sleeping. His energy so respectful. Great grandmother's daughters were there with pragmatic optimism. The afternoon developed as great grandmother regained consciousness and welcomed the visits of all of her direct family. Laughing and singing, memories of times past, time done and used up.

Later that evening when she was finally alone after two days of non-stop attention a very private matriarch chose that private moment to say her final goodbye.