A reflection on the new year, written by Esther Birtwistle. It’s not specifically about grief but food for thought especially if you are struggling with the idea of getting through the year ahead, or even tomorrow. This post includes hopeful perspectives, which you might not feel if your grief is raw. It also includes Christian…
It’s coming up to November 2nd – All Soul’s Day – a day when many of us will visit loved one’s graves to remember them, although in some traditions this might have taken place on October 31st. (“All Hallow’s Eve”, more commonly referred to as Halloween.) As Wikipedia helpfully explains, “All Souls’ Day commemorates All Souls, the Holy…
(A post that will mostly be applicable to those with a faith-based outlook.) We might have been dealt a massive blow with the death of our loved one, but that is not the end of our troubles. Life continues, and so new challenges arise. Life after bereavement. What is it? It is much the same…
This post is mostly for those who have a religious faith or belong to a religion, such as Christianity. It looks at how the pain of our grief can sometimes be dismissed or minimised by others within our community of faith because of a focus on the ‘next life.’ Missing our loved ones is the…
A post with a Christian perspective, written for believers rather than those who are struggling with their faith at this time. It’s a cold, windy early spring day and I’m walking in my local park. I am listening to the songs of Taizé. There is something quite heavenly about those voices and the truths they…
(A post from a Christian perspective.) There is a lot in the Bible about joy. “The joy of the Lord is your strength”, “happy is the people whose God is the Lord”, and so on. Many churches today emphasise these “happy messages” and sometimes equate spirituality and faith with being happy and positive. But this…
Another article on the impact of grief on our faith, and the impact on faith on our grief. I had contrasting reactions to the last post in this series. For some it was thought-provoking whereas others could not relate. It seems a good topic to continue, so here’s my own experience, offering a somewhat different…
A post for those who are interested in Christian perspectives. This is the second part of a series on managing our faith during a time of grief. The shaking of my soul In an earlier post. I wrote about using words from the Bible to express our own feelings. For instance, this verse from the…
A Valley Journal 
You must be logged in to post a comment.