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…
(This post is quite significant for me today, as it is May 27th. It is 39 years today since my dear son Pax died. He is buried in India, but I have a double-headstone for him and his sister Catherine at the nearby cemetery. On this date I usually do a pilgrim walk up on…
The Old English word for grief, heartsarnes, literally means soreness of the heart. Heartache originates from the Old English heortece, originally used to refer to heart disease. From Understanding how Grief Weakens the Body The Oxford Handbook of Stress, Health and Coping describes the impact that bereavement can have on our physical health. The odds of a…
It’s 23rd March today, and here in the UK, we are marking a National Day of Reflection. It’s meant to be an opportunity to reflect on those who have died and also to connect and support those who are grieving. You can find out more here: National Day of Reflection | Marie Curie I…
Victoria’s bedside picture. Grieving in the way that feels right to you.
It is not trite to say that our loved ones are with us no matter where we are, but there is a certain geography to many people’s grief. If you live across the road from the cemetery where your loved one is laid to rest or their ashes are scattered, then the coronavirus travel restrictions…
This post is another side to the subject of memorialising. It looks at those who have very good reasons for not wanting to keep on remembering. Living with loss does not only mean coping with the death of a person. It can also mean coping with the loss of what a relationship should have been.…
It seems to be a time of year for remembering. All Soul’s Day, All Saints Day and Remembrance Sunday are around the corner. “Good people are remembered long after they are gone” the Bible tells us. (Proverbs 10:7 CEV) What is goodness but love? What is grief but a continuation of love? I enjoy that…
A Valley Journal 
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