Having reached Grief Relief’s first Facebook Anniversary, I’ve been reflecting on the past year. It has been a huge learning for me with obstacles, challenges and frustrations to overcome but there have also been significant gains from having got through it. Much like navigating the passage of grief through uncharted territory. I’ve been reminded of how momentous a first anniversary can be after the loss of someone or something important....

Some time ago, I spoke about loss and grief to a group of gentlemen at a Men’s Shed. I touched on a loss that many people feel yet are often cautious about mentioning and this is the loss of a pet. In the course of our conversation, I stated that: “Grief is a response to a loss of someone or something important to you, regardless of who or what that is.” This struck a chord for one of the men and was helpful because it legitimised his feelings...

Christmas is coming as it does with regularity every year.  Regardless of our religious beliefs or lack of, Christmas is generally a time when people come together for celebrating. For some it is a time for celebrating the birth of Jesus,  while for others it is simply an opportunity to celebrate our connection to one another through family ties and/or friendship. Christmas can however be a double-edged sword.  While we may have cause to...

Have you ever imagined your own funeral? What it looked like, where it was held, who came, who spoke and what they said about you. If so, have you done anything about it? Have you told anyone? Have you recorded it anywhere? Perhaps you take the position “I won’t be here, so I don’t care!” Or are you like the gentleman who, tongue in cheek, said: “since I’m not going to die, I don’t need to think about it.” The truth is none of us get out of...

  Why Care for Yourself when Grieving? In a nutshell, taking care of yourself when grieving is crucial to your safety, health and well being. In this busy world, taking time to grieve is often discounted with “I don’t have time for that” or “I can’t afford that luxury”. The truth is you can’t afford not to, not if you value yourself. Grief has a way of catching up with you sooner or later. If you don’t do the work when it’s in...