Some ashes were interred today, bringing closure to a drama in my extended family that started months ago but really only came to a head in the last few weeks, particularly last Friday.

Saddest of all was to watch, helpless from afar, the mess that emerged as matters in my family worsened in the lead-up to the inevitable.

And to think that at the end of Thursday (which had been a good day), I was thanking my lucky stars for — apparently — having survived the month of March without any major crises or tragedies. Suffice to say, I’ve learnt a lesson about counting chickens before they hatch.