I am a big soccer fan and this week I watched as Frank Lampard  – whose mother had died during the week – step up and score a penalty in the Champions League semi final. He was desperate to play and his mother would have wanted him to – she was his biggest fan.
What struck me was for all the money these players earn, for all the prestige of the event,   after he scored he wept, holding his black armband and pointing to his father.
When we lose a parent, it is like losing part of us. They are our …read more

I posted a while ago about Watching Someone Die and Gloria just posted a comment that touched my heart, the comment ended
“The one thing I walk away with is the knowledge that he was a great man, an unbelievable father and an undying love and trust for God. He will help me through this.”
It touched me because I still remember the last moments of my Dad’s life, I still   remember feeling guilty of waiting for him to go…he was in such pain and I didn’t want that for him, I wanted him to be at peace. I loved him …read more

Losing a parent is something that we all face and I have just read about Diana Ross losing her father…fame cannot protect you from the pain of grief, however it gives you other ways of sharing your grief and paying tribute to family that you will continue to love.
“Diana, 63, said: “He touched many lives and he will be truly missed. I love him very much.”The ‘Baby Love’ singer announced her father’s death to the sell-out audience at her Los Angeles concert on Tuesday night, where she dedicated her encore song, ‘I Love You’ to her late father.”
My dad died …read more

I was reading about the following study by Harvard professors which was conducted in a nursing home.
One group of residents took charge of their daily living activities, including dressing, eating, personal hygiene and maintaining their own environments. A second group had all these functions taken care of for them by staff.
Results indicated that those in the first group were more alert, active and happier. 18 months later, 15% of that group had died, compared to 30% of the second group.

 
I know this was about the aging process but I think it is important for people who have lost their loved …read more

Grief is difficult, very difficult for adults but I think often underestimate the impact on children. Children are very resilient and often want to hide their true feelings as they know you are struggling to cope with all the practical issues as well as your emotions. They can often be isolated. I was interested to read at the Journal and Courier Online
“Edward Cleaver, bereavement organizer for the camp, said children dealing with grief often believe others don’t feel the same or can understand them. “We want to reduce the isolation they are feeling,” he said.
Matched with a big-buddy counselor, the …read more

As I said it would have been Dad’s birthday yesterday, although time heals the pain the sense of loss remains deep inside. I am so proud of mum who has never had much confidence, she has rebuilt her life in a way that Dad would have been proud. You can see in her eyes the pain, on days like yesterday and yet the determination that she will value her life closely, as she knows how much my sister and I love her.
They say time heals, I wonder if heals is the right phrase? Time brings the ability to cope but …read more

I was a huge admirer of Princess Diana and remember the wave of mourning when we woke up to find that we had lost the “People’s Princess”. I have this hope that one day she can rest in peace and yet like every other person there is that little gnawing thought whether there is more to the story. I just read on the Sydney Morning Herald the following
“A French firefighter who could hold vital clues suggesting Princess Diana’s death was not an accident has come forward to give evidence at an inquest into how she died.
Christophe Pelat claims to …read more

Fathers day is over for another year and yet Dad has been at the forefront of my thoughts this week. It reminded me of the poem Tomorrow by Stephanie Ineson…I have posted about it before but it seems so relevant.
Tomorrow – I’ll tell him just what he means, …read more

Dad was such a huge influence in my life – although I am not sure he knew. I lost him on 5 November 2003 and I will remember for as long as I live, being with him when he took his final breath. I loved him so much and watching him die was just awful. Today I wanted to pay tribute to a man who I miss very much, so here is a snippet of the speech I made at his funeral.
“Dad would certainly not want us to mourn his passing but instead celebrate knowing him and indeed his life. …read more