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Thanks 2GB for talking to us about the good death.

Dr Ginni Mansberg interviewed me about death yesterday.

Kayley Harris and Dr Ginni Mansberg teamed up to discuss ways to improve the approach to death in our culture, on their program Healthy Living, on 2GB, last night, prompted by their own personal experiences over the loss of their fathers. And they invited me to share some thoughts. Listen … Read more

We are back and looking forward to working with you.

At the Cygnet Folk Festival.

We’re back for 2023 and asking ‘What do you want to know about the non-medical as well as medical aspects of end-of-life?’ But first, a reflection. On replenishment. A week beachside with my daughters, their partners and their children was the best anyone could ask for. We were all in … Read more

Merry Christmas and see you again in 2023.

Here, as we wish you a Merry Christmas, we list resources for those who find Christmas hard, maybe because they are grieving over the loss of someone they love. It’s edited from the Good Grief! newsletter published on December 14. But before we go to that, today is the first … Read more

Five easy steps to prepare for the end of life while you’re young and skittish.

the feet of a person in white gown with flower petals on the floor

This newsletter formed the basis of my talk with the Lifting the Lid online International Festival, in November, 2022. Well, not so easy really. Of course, to paraphrase my friend and fellow death writer Sally Tisdale I have never died so what would I know? I’m also relatively young, at 63, so … Read more

Sharing Pregnancy Loss.

Tahyna MacManus captures the grief and the changing tide of women’s experiences in Misunderstandings about Miscarriage.

This article was updated on 1 December, 2022. It discusses miscarriage with Tahyna McManus. by Sandra Moon Did you or someone you know wait until after twelve-weeks to share news of a pregnancy? I did and the reason was in case I lost my baby. I wanted to avoid those … Read more

Suspend disbelief and watch ‘Surviving Death’.

Suspend disbelief and watch 'Surviving Death'.

This article was updated 24 November, 2022. It discusses suspending disbelief about the after life. by Sandra Moon Are you an afterlife sceptic or not? Have you ever looked for or had a sign from a deceased loved one? Whenever I see the Ulysses butterfly, I call it “Aunty Janet” … Read more

My name is Allison Rees, I am the grieving mother of Isabella.

Andrea Shoesmith and Allison Rees on ABC TV's Australian Story

This article was updated on 16 November, 2022. It discusses death from button batteries. At my place recently I bought fake tea-light candles so the grandchildren wouldn’t burn themselves. Their mothers looked at me in horror. The danger from the tiny batteries that powered them was much greater than the … Read more

Just sayin’ Good Grief reached 50,000 visits today.

Good Grief! reached 50,000 visits today.

We hit an exciting milestone today. We have had 50,000 visits to the Good Grief! website. We hope you’ve found it useful. Thank you to all the readers who have followed us and shared the Good Grief! mission to help people understand death and grieving a little more. To see … Read more

Tree Burials, Sea Burials and Green Burials

Connecting-to-a-loved-one-through-growing-a-tree-can-be-a-comforting-and-joyous-experience

by Sandra Moon. This article was updated 7 November, 2022. It features sustainable burials. As a child I was intrigued by a Native American tradition of placing their deceased on a platform in a tree. It seemed so natural to me to decompose through exposure to the sun, rain and … Read more

Sometimes the source of our grief is not noticeable to others.

The birth of a new baby, even though good, is an example of a big life transition. Photo-Aditya-Romansa-@adroman-via-Unsplash.png

This article was updated on 1 November, 2022. It discusses grief in retirement. We all know it – grief is part of life. And it’s not just the obvious, big things like the death of friends or family that cause this pain. Sometimes the source of grief and loss is … Read more

The Surviving Siblings Podcast by Maya Roffler.

Five of the Rice siblings - before Julian (left) died - for Maya Roffler's Surviving Siblings podcast

After Maya Roffler’s brother was killed in 2016 she decided to develop The Surviving Siblings podcast to support siblings. “I realized after losing him in 2016 to a homicide and struggling for years after that there is little to no support for surviving siblings,” Maya says. Since then she has … Read more

Coffin Art gave Sandra the Chance to Talk to her Cousin one Last Time.

Coffin art offered a chance to talk to my cousin one last time, photo: Sandra Moon

This article was updated on 26 October, 2022. It made a difference to be able to connect one last time, SANDRA MOON, journalist, editor, writer and no stranger to grief, says of her personal experience with coffin art. In the crematorium I waited with the other mourners, thick black markers … Read more

Mikhailla’s story of losing baby Foxx.

Just after Foxx was born - perfectly normal and at that point healthy - Mikhailla's story of losing baby Foxx

Losing baby Foxx from GBS is something Mikhailla will live with forever. Group B streptococcus, often shortened to GBS is a symptomless and common bacteria, normally harmless and often found in the vagina, bladder, rectal passage and throat. It typically goes unnoticed and is carried by about 20 per cent … Read more

What happens when nurses are afraid at their patients’ end of life?

What happens when nurses are afraid at their patients end of life?

This article was updated 20 October, 2022. It features Dr Katrin Berger’s thoughts on pain management at the end of life. When Dr Katrin Gerber shared her thoughts about the important topic of pain management at the end of life, it brought back many memories. My mother died in a … Read more

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