The day before Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day in the UK tomorrow, Sunday 18th.

The shops are full of obscenely large quantities of gaudy flower arrangements.

I've just heard the sad news that my dear 'cyber' friend Carole died last night. Surrounded by her family, her husband, her two sons, her parents, her brother and her sister.

Mother's Day will never be the same. As her sister said "she never gave up to cancer. It was just too big for her in the end"

Thanks you for so much Carole. Hope you are at peace.

Addendum:
This credit to Carole was added today by the moderating team on the Cancer Research 'Chat' forum, where Carole was very active and well loved:
Thanks so much Sarah for having kept us updated in the last few weeks when you yourself had so much to deal with. Even though you prepared us well for what was to come and we knew that Carole's days were counted, it is still very much of a shock to everyone. Tributes to Carole are pouring into this thread as I write this which shows just what a wonderful caring woman she was and the countless friends she made here. She posted about 1400 messages on Cancer Chat and was therefore a constant presence here, always keen to help others and be there for everyone. It is hard to imagine the forum without her contributions, the great manner she had with people and her great sense of humour.
As her son wrote in a very moving post in her own blog, "we can take solace in the fact that she is no longer suffering" and that she died peacefully. He also wrote - and I could not put it any better than him - that it is "nice to think she could create some sort of legacy to encourage others to talk openly and help each other, just letting someone else know you are thinking of them or giving them the opportunity to have a rant is a wonderful help. Nobody should have to face these struggles on their own so please help each other."
I will end simply by sharing again Carole's blog which I think is the best tribute to her - an expert and passionate blogger she was - you can read it over and over again here. Even when she was not feeling well at all, she still kept her blog updated until shortly before she went on her final journey and then her son James kept all her followers updated after she moved to the hospice. She called her blog 'What a Pain in the Bum!'and I will add, What a Pain in the Bum that she is no longer with us but I'd like to imagine her resting without any pain in the beautiful Epping Forest Burial Ground, a place she chose because she wanted a place people would look forward to visiting. And part of me would also like to imagine her still blogging to us from wherever she is now.
Carole/ Dizzie you will be deeply missed on
Cancer Chat as well as I am sure everywhere you have been.
We are thinking of all those who got to meet this amazing lady, her husband Rab, her two sons, her lovely sister Sarah and all the other members of her family who must be truly devastated at the moment.