Recently a man asked me if I would write two funeral eulogies for him. I said I would be very pleased to help and asked him sensitively for details of the two people he had lost. I was a bit surprised when he told me he hadn't lost either of them yet. One was his Mother, aged 80 and apparently in good health, and the other was a close friend aged 60 - also seemingly in good health. I pointed out that I myself have an Aunt still going fairly strong at the age of 102 and didn't he think that with any luck both his Mother and his friend might be around for quite some time? "Yes I know Guy" he replied "but I like to be prepared."
