Updated 4 March, 2022. We’ve just had a wonderful chat with the team from ELDAC about end of life planning. They’ve asked us to remind readers to sign up to their ELDAC newsletter, which we urge you to do – (as long as you sign up to our Good Grief! … Read more
We challenged – each other and policy makers… …to help improve the way end-of-life services are delivered in this country. But we – both the panel and the audience – shared deeply personal stories, starting with that of our wonderful interviewer Melissa Reader. She interviewed Dr Suharsha Kanathigoda, Director of … Read more
Sutherland Library’s meeting room was filled to capacity with about 100 people on August 8, 2019, and the Death Cafe organised by Home Instead’s Karen Buckley was fully subscribed within days of being advertised. Karen and her team had worked tirelessly to show people the importance of being well prepared. … Read more
“Hello, I’m just calling on behalf of an organisation called ‘Gather My Crew’,” Susan said when she rang in to Jon Faine’s ABC Melbourne Known Unknowns program to discuss ‘the good death’. We were taking calls from people about how we can help each other improve today’s experience of death. … 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
Christine from Brisbane’s father died in August, so not that long ago, as she explained on Radio National yesterday. She phoned in to speak on Hilary Harper’s Life Matters program: “Preparing for the loss of a loved one.” Christine’s father had a stroke 18 months before and as his death … Read more
Do you want two tickets to Sallie Tisdale’s talk at the Sydney Writer’s Festival? Just get in touch if you do. I’ll give them to the first who ask for them. (Go by the comment link in Good Grief – I’ll check it often until the day.) The session is … 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
Today, like most of the world, I’m thinking about Christchurch in New Zealand where 49 people died because of an act of horrible violence. It’s a beautiful city and I’m determined to hold on to recent memories of all that is good about it: great people, wonderful walks, innovative architecture … Read more
“Have you been around during the last months of someone’s life, either a friend or a relative?”
Thanks to the wonderful people at Murdoch Books A Good Death: a compassionate and practical guide to prepare for the end of life is now published. To pre-order just follow this link: https://bit.ly/2XeRU9p or this one: https://bit.ly/2X8MNYF What the publishers say: This is a guide to facilitate much needed conversation … Read more
Beautiful Fran Brodie died of ovarian cancer this week at only 72. Here she is on her wedding day. She trained at St Vincents Hospital, Sydney, and then went on to work as a community based palliative care nurse with Neringah Hospital, Wahroonga, where ironically she died this week only … Read more
How do you do what Australia’s ABC radio announcer Jill Emberson is doing and live knowing you will die? No, no, no – I don’t mean how do you live with that terrible truth in the background, that we all have to face. I mean how do you live knowing … Read more
Nearly 80,000 words later and close to completing my ‘life affirming book about death’, I’m back. With more ideas, challenges and stories of people’s experiences to share, as we talk about death. This is one: what if better architecture makes better goodbyes? Here’s something wonderful – thank you to the UK’s … Read more
It’s been quiet around here for a little while because I’ve been working on an exciting project with Murdoch Books. Murdoch Books will be publishing my life affirming book about death in 2019. We agree that dying well is part of the brand’s mission to help people ‘live life well’. … Read more