It is generally recognised that the death of a child is one of the very worst bereavements and the worst type of pain. Nobody expects to bury their son or daughter. The unique agony of a bereaved parent is close to my heart. My work supporting people who are grieving is a direct consequence of…
It’s been almost two weeks since I arrived in Australia. I’ve seen lots of things that you would not see back in the UK, such as… Of course there are also grand vistas, mountains, bridges, rivers and beaches – but those can also be found in one form or another in the UK. The above…
FOR THE NEWLY BEREAVED Our lives rarely proceed exactly as we would have chosen. So much is out of our control, like the cruel illness or accident that took our loved one. We find ourselves in very dark places. Life turns us upside down and inside out, often seemingly without rhyme or reason. The worst does…
A post for those interested in a Christian outlook. It’s Friday, the day we commemorate the death of Jesus. Tomorrow is Saturday, a time of waiting. And then Sunday arrives. The sun will rise and many millions of people around the world will celebrate Christ’s victorious rising from the dead. We greet each other: “Christ…
(A post with a Christian perspective, looking at some of the clichés around grief and questioning whether they would have been appropriate words to comfort the followers and mother of Jesus on the day of his death.) Death. Most of us do not choose it for ourselves, much less for our loved ones. Both of…
Life doesn’t often seem fair. How do you feel about it today? The stacked deck John and I play cards sometimes, for amusement only, never for money, and usually only when we’re on holiday for some reason. The game I prefer is “500”. The first player to score 500 wins. The digit cards (2-9) each…
Today is International Women’s Day and in recognition, this post is dedicated to the particular issues that many women face as they grieve. It is not meant to minimise, compare or dismiss the issues facing men, but it is a post about women, by a woman. I am a bereaved mother, sister and daughter. Thankfully…
