Sorry for my silence in the last few weeks, but my mum began her slow walk towards death. She celebrated her 99 birthday on 9th June this year. She had been living in a care home for the past three and a half years as she lived with dementia. Her reality was that she did not know where she was most of the time, which was heartbreaking and painful to watch as she tried to leave to go back to her childhood home. But there were periods of joy when we laughed at memories and danced and clapped to music at the home. She fell in late June, and from that point onwards decided it was time to go. She did not eat or drink and went into decline, finally succumbing to a chest infection on 9th July. I had sat with her for the final 36 hours, but as soon as I left she died. I feel she is at peace at last. Goodbye, my lovely Mum, I will miss you.