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...

  Isolated or Connected?   Grief can be an isolating experience. After my first-born son died and the subsequent losses that ensued, I remember thinking and feeling that no-one understood how it really was for me. Realistically, how could they? It wasn’t their experience. It wasn’t for another eleven years before I connected with other women who had lost an infant suddenly and unexpectedly without cause.  It was then that...