Goodbye, and thanks for the memories...

Dear Internet,

Thank you for your continued interest in Just Another Cancer Blog.  This will be the last post to this blog.  Unfortunately Melissa did not have the opportunity to write this post, so I will do it on her behalf.

On the 20th of November, at 5:15 am, my beautiful wife took her last breath.  I will not outline her final hours, other to say that she was surrounded by love and is no longer in pain.  

She was admitted to Te Omanga Hospice on Tuesday (17th November) because her symptoms were becoming too difficult to manage at home.  The staff at the hospice were just fantastic.  They are such caring and compassionate people, and they made Melissa as comfortable as humanly possible.  My family's heartfelt thanks go out to these wonderful people. 

Yesterday (Wednesday the 25th of November) I had the privilege of joining about 180 other family and friends to farewell Melissa at her funeral.  It was a celebration that I think Melissa would have enjoyed (she planned it beginning to end).  There were many tears shed, but also plenty of laughs and smiles as people remembered a special person who touched many lives.  After the funeral, quite a number of us raised a glass to Melissa's memory and remembered the many, many great times.  Yesterday cemented in my mind how many people loved Melissa, and how many lives she touched in her 37 short years.

I will leave you with one of the poems she asked to be read at the service:

I'm free

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free,
I'm following the path laid for me.

I could not stay another day,
To laugh, to love, to work, to play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way,
I've found that peace at the close of the day.

If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
Ah yes, these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow,
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My Life's been full, I savoured much,
Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch,

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,
Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.

Goodbye, my love.  I love you, as do many, many others.  You will be missed.  Rest in peace xxx.