Yeltsin.

So, today Boris Yeltsin died from heart failure, aged 76. Unsurprisingly, his passing is bringing him both praise and criticism for his career.

I’ll offer up some praise. He made mistakes. His plans were not implemented in the short term, and possibly never could have been. But for his failings, he brought an end to Communism in Russia. That’s the one huge ‘pro’ that outweighs all the ‘cons’ I see.

Toast.

Here’s to you!

You lived beyond your years, yet you were still on the ball. Quiet. Unassuming. Kind, generous, warm, happy. I’ll always remember your smile, your sense of humour. I’ll always remember being round at your house on a Sunday afternoon. I’ll always remember.

Your passing came without warning. But it also came without pain, and without suffering. That, I think, is the least any of us can ask for.

The last couple of days, I’ve been lost in a sea of tears. I don’t know how I’ll be at the funeral; I’ve been hunched on the floor crying, making primal noises I didn’t even know I could make. Sometimes, we don’t quite realise what we’ve lost until it’s gone.

So here’s to you! Most of us will never live a life as long, as happy, as respectable, or as fulfilled as yours.