Josephine shares her experience of bereavement during lockdown

Sadly given the number of people who have died due to the corona crisis many people have been affected by grief. Josephine lost a friend and this week she shares her experience of dealing with bereavement during lockdown.

In loving memory

As we mourn your passing

I go back to my first days at CUK

Getting your emails, and you forwarding mine!

We had an instant connection

Not just in name but in culture and background

I took it for granted and bothered you constantly!

You were always so kind

And GENTLE

My memory of you is that you were always smiling.

That is not completely accurate

But you seemed to laugh so easily!

Until one day

At the BAME meeting

I saw you cry!

Big tears rolling down your gentle face

They seemed to burn your face

Because instead of being angry

You were sad from the pain of injustice!

For the 30th Anniversary party

I recall persuading you

To wear a gomesi, our traditional dress

To bring some culture and colour to the proceedings

You said you did not have one and I brought one for you

What I did not tell you was that it is the gomesi

I wore for my traditional wedding

In the ladies bathroom, we giggled as I told you to keep still

So, I could dress you up properly

It felt like we were sisters, getting ready for a party

Now it is not the gomesi I wore at my wedding

But the gomesi you wore – the one marked with your name!

My one regret?

Is that we did not have our planned sleep-over

To cook our traditional food

For you to meet my family

I can only imagine, the stories and laughter

And getting to know each other – a bit more!

Our giddy plans

Disrupted by your departure

To a virus so dreadful

Without warning or farewell

No hugs or kisses!

Now I must say

Rest in peace my darling

As I so believe, that on one sunny day

We will meet again

In the meantime,

I hope that I carry not just our name

But some of your other attributes

As I bid you farewell.

Josephine N