From My Oxford Year - book

 "Losing someone is hard enough. But death without the process of dying is an abomination. It takes nine months to create life; it feels unnatural, a sin against nature, that the reverse shouldn't also have its time.  Time to let go of the known as we take hold of the unknown.

Maybe in this, an Oxenford can be shared. Maybe it's not just for the person crossing the river, but also for those left on the bank. Looking into a loved's one's eyes, seeing the knowing there, the inevitability, and telling them, I love you. My love is with you to your end; yours will be with me until mine.

Because the love doesn't die, does it?

What Cecilia said at Oliver's funeral: Love well those who are dying, so that they may die in love."

The journey is over.

 The journey is over with my brother. He decided soon after I returned that he had had enough. Everyone returned to his side and we were all there when he died. Well, not literally since he died in the middle of the night - only my brother was sleeping in the room with him. We all arrived, and I needed to mark the event somehow, so found the below on his wall, and read it out loud. So perfect. Trees and he were connected, and he had deep roots. I miss him, and I miss the closeness with my siblings. It will take work to keep that up. Gotta do it.