He passed away a few weeks before my wedding, a mere hour after my mother and I both told him that we loved him and that he was too unwell to come to the wedding. We thanked him for holding on, for trying to make it, but explained that it would be too risky for him to travel to the ceremony as he was so ill.

My mum put a recording of his favourite music, musicals, and shortly after it finished, he slipped away.

No-one can tell me that he did not choose when to go.

I sat with his body – it was both the best thing to do, and the worst. I’m glad I did and I wish I hadn’t.

It’s so good to read someone else’s experience – thank you so much.

Melody x

Got me thinking about the death of my grandmother. My grandad had left the hospice she was in for a few minutes to get a breath of fresh air and when he came back into the room she had passed away.

Perhaps what, at the time seemed like a cruel twist of fate was actually my grandmother’s final act of kindness.