Working your way through grief

My Deer, Phoenix Park.

Phoenix Park, Ireland, pic courtesy National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Ireland.

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

A Mexican Cross to remember Chris

A Mexican Cross to remember Chris by, made better for its imperfections, as he is buried today.

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

Farewell to Pauline Helen Hensley

Pauline Helen Hensley

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

Spiritual experiences around the time of death

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

Facebook etiquette when someone dies

by Rachel Thompson, Mashable. When someone you love passes away, turning to Facebook can be a profoundly helpful way of processing that loss and expressing your grief. But, for the deceased’s nearest and dearest, social media can be deeply overwhelming and upsetting in the immediate aftermath and even the long … Read more

Letting go – there’s no end to it.

by Tony Doherty   http://us9.campaign-archive2.com/?e=3f5f599bc5&u=d271338e1956a8bd6631e2743&id=5e6a3f9721  We are never more human than when we are grieving. A strange claim? Perhaps that statement even sounds a little harsh, unfeeling. Grief can be excruciating. It is almost always accompanied by pain. We try to avoid it – even avoid thinking about it. But stop and consider … Read more

The deathbed vision

“With impending death, the circulation slows, the heartbeat weakens, and the breathing gets slower or more irregular, but just as the heart beat and breathing case, the brain seems to have a burst of activity.” – So says Dr Michael Barbato in a recent interview. The interview can be found … Read more

New life

“Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.” – Anne Roiphe Thankfully, with the birth of a new grandchild, I can take this wise comment literally. Although it is hard, after grief it is important to remember to seek out moments of … Read more