This well-known poem by David Harkin might seem challenging when you are freshly bereaved and the tears keep flowing. But in time, the sentiments in this line can help propel the griever forward. See what you think. He is gone You can shed tears that he is goneOr you can smile because he has lived…
This poem I’m adding to my collection of the poetry of grief (read more here) isn’t about grief specifically, but it does speak to those difficult seasons we experience when we’re bereaved. It brings a picture to mind – a long walk on a windy cold day, and the relief of being able to take…
Reflections for the days when there are more hours of darkness than there are of light. For the bereaved, it might seem that all joy and hope have been extinguished. But hold on… the light will return… We are approaching the 20th/21st December, the shortest day of the year in this hemisphere, with the fewest…
(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…
Grieving creatively is the name of this series of articles. Today’s idea is quite simple: Sit and be. Focus on nature for 2, 5, 10 or 20 minutes. Really observe, really listen. Imagine the scene. You’re sitting on a bench after walking through woodland for about 20 minutes. The bench is on a hill part…
Remembering with love I heard your voice in the wind todayand I turned to see your face;The warmth of the wind caressed meas I stood silently in place. I felt your touch in the sun todayas its warmth filled the sky;I closed my eyes for your embraceand my spirit soared high. I saw your eyes…
(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…
A poem by Robert Louis Stevenson Though he, that ever kind and true,Kept stoutly step by step with you,Your whole long, gusty lifetime through,Be gone a while before,Be now a moment gone before,Yet, doubt not, soon the seasons shall restoreYour friend to you. He has but turned the corner — stillHe pushes on with right…
A Valley Journal 
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