‘A beautiful death’ is an expression few of us feel we have permission to use. Yet writer Richard Flanagan has done just that. Can we say this too? Richard is a Tasmanian author who’s won the Booker Prize, one of the world’s leading prizes for fiction writing. His snippet about … Read more
The experience of grief is universal and inevitable for each of us. It is felt physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and socially and it is a natural response to loss, bereavement, and trauma. Grief is part of being human “But we live in a grief-avoidant culture, that encourages us to move … Read more
When it hits the news that someone died unexpectedly in our country, on the other side of the world from their family and friends – or the other way around, someone from our country died far away amongst strangers, it always feels extra sad. GAY McKINLEY shares her story about … Read more
“I find this dish incredibly comforting on a personal level,” explains Australian cooking and media personality, Lyndey Milan. “Not sure if it is because it includes mince – beef or lamb is fine – which is easy to eat and digest and brings back memories of childhood. “Or the hint … Read more
‘Where will I be buried?’ was updated on August 12, 2022. This issue may seem odd to some – but to others it’s very important. In Australia the final resting place has deep significance for Aboriginal people. But I knew a non-Indigenous woman who was troubled by not knowing where … Read more
That’s a full stop – a red stop sign with angled corners and a white line around it. Resting here, my knees have buckled, in front of that sign you planted in my path. I have walked this space so confidently, happy to share what I know, to muck in. … Read more
This morning Play School did something very special. It had an episode about new life and end of life. Emma, one of the presenters explained to an earlier television news audience that the team sought the guidance of experts on managing grief in children. Children deal with death in a … Read more
Sadly, until recently children were often excluded from funerals, something we recognise today as harmful. Christine was only seven when her father died and she will never forget it. But one emotion that loomed large for a long time after was anger – not because Fred had died but because … Read more
Today a Mexican Cross to remember Chris by, because later this morning, Sydney time, his family who are dear to my heart will bury him. They are a large Catholic family just like the one I grew up in and now he, one of the six siblings, is gone. If … Read more
“Have you been around during the last months of someone’s life, either a friend or a relative?”
When I started interviewing people about their experiences of death, my selection process was a fairly random one. That was deliberate because I wanted the conversations to reflect life around me as it is in my country, in my time, in my culture – no pretence, no artifice, no filter. … Read more
It’s all about the radio today. Aubrey de Grey is a researcher who believes the first human being who will live for 1000 years has already been born. This morning I was reminded of de Grey when ABC radio interviewer Cassie McCullagh interviewed Professor John Rasko. Tonight, Professor Rasko will … Read more
Pauline looked as though she was just doing the ordinary things: just getting on with it because, as she said, you’ve got no choice. But she was being absolutely extraordinary.
Spiritual experiences around the time of death can be very powerful. Sometimes these alert others that someone they love has died. My friend Carolyn Parfitt shares a story that is a good example of this. “My husband and I were away camping in Kakadu National Park and we were out … Read more
This week my friend Ellen’s deceased brother’s second grandchild was born. This little person was not just the physical expression of Stephen but there was something of his soul present as well. I felt the connection to Stephen even more strongly than the first time.