A short eulogy

This is the short piece that I read out at Julie's funeral. The longer version is below.

Julie Williamson nee Hurdus 24.6.57 – 14.12.14

I’ve been friends with Julie for 47 years, since we were 11. She was my best friend. We’ve kept in touch over the years, sharing each other’s ups and downs.

I wrote a long speech about how

·      she could fill any occasion with fun and laughter,

·      she was always there to offer a shoulder to cry on, or a practical helping hand when it was needed.

·      she was intelligent, but down to earth and so positive, welcoming and encouraging.

·      she was intertwined, through love, with the men in her life, Richard, Harry, Ryan, Adam, and last, but not least her steady rock, Jack.

Anyway, I agonised writing this long speech. It had lots of stories to illustrate everything I wanted to say about Julie. Then I found out that I had to reduce it to 2 minutes. I could hear Julie chuckling over my shoulder!

You don’t need my stories anyway. I know you’ll have your own. So I’m going to let her speak for herself.

In August this year I invited Julie, on facebook, to do the ‘Positivity Challenge’ – a thing that was doing the rounds where you had to say three positive things about your life each day. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me sharing some of the things she put:

14^th August

1)    A whole host of medical appointments and things with Jack were POSITIVE - yay!!

2)    I'm sooooooooo tired I feel like I could fall asleep standing up, but loved ones just keep me giong and going and going ........

3)    I'm so lucky to have my family around me, albeit exceptionally depleted. Each and every one is worth a million people.

4)    And I'm so lucky, too, to have friends that really do accept me warts and all and stick with me, come what may.

5)    And how lucky am I to have a computer and be able to read what you're all up to? So many of you make me smile or giggle with your comments and so on! And that's brill to kickstart Positive Days!

6)    So a big "thank you" to everybody! For contributing to my "lucky" and "Positive" life. And for making me laugh at times when it could be so difficult to do so. And for those that do, for loving me. xxxxxxx

I loved Julie very much and I’m going to miss her.

Jackie Taylor