Readers of this blog know how celebrity deaths amaze me…

Amaze me at how the outpouring of grief over someone we didn’t know
Amaze me at how the families cope when the worlds press is looking at them
Amaze me that despite the many wishes to rest in peace, the world seems to not want to let them rest in peace!

I came across a compelling article in Time Magazine about The Top Celebrity Grave Sites. It shows the graves of celebrities such as Bob Marley, Princess Diana, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe etc
It tells stories around their deaths but one stood out for me …read more

Last week I had the pleasure of going to Whitby the place which was so special in my Dad’s heart and where my mum still has a home. On the cliff top, Mum placed a seat as a lasting memorial to Dad. It is just outside Mums house and provides such comfort to us all.
It is strange, it is just a seat. A seat that Dad has never sat on and yet his spirit is there…he loved looking out to sea, he loved watching the world go by….
On the Sunday I was walking back from the town and I looked …read more

Today – the Glorious 12th as we know it in the UK – is my Dad’s birthday.
Dad was a wonderful gentleman who is missed very much from our lives. The years go by since we lost him from our lives but I can tell you, he is never far from our minds.
I had the privilege – and it was a true privilege – to speak at the funeral on behalf of my mum. I wanted to share with you today a little of what I said
“…As he did fall asleep there were fireworks to be heard and seen outside …read more

It is 4 years since the London bombings, a day which I will never forget as two of my friends were in the tragedy. One lived with severe injuries and one died on the bus bomb. My friend who died was a new mum, and her family was devastated. Her wonderful child will never know her mum – tragic.
The worst part was that her body was never found, I remember taking the call to say that they couldn’t say she had died – as no body – just that she was not alive.
A memorial has opened today and it is …read more

Over the weekend I got a call from a family friend who told me that her mother had just died. Lucy was one of the special people in this world and I blogged about the effect she had on my life over at The Engaging Brand – here is what I wrote almost 3 years ago
“While there, we visited one of our family friends…Lucy. Lucy is amazing – 93, immaculately dressed, lives 6 months a year by herself in a caravan on the cliffs at Whitby, and never, ever stops smiling. She loves life and is living proof that a …read more

It would have been my grandad’s 100th birthday this month but unfortunately we lost him from our lives 15 years ago. However, mum and I went to put some flowers on his grave and I was hit by all the stories in the graveyard. We spent a while just walking around and looking at the graves of young and old alike…
I could not help but think of all the untold stories, all the untold loves, all the maybe even all the untold lies that lay buried from the world. We spend so much of our lives worrying about one …read more

I came across iLasting which is a memorial site which the founder Anthony Doctolero said “I created the site because I wanted to pay tribute to my grandfather who was a special person in my life. He was an ordinary man, who led an extraordinary life. He was not a celebrity, but to our family he was the president….This site is not about death; it’s about celebrating life.
I was intrigued by his story and asked if he could write some tips for us on how to create a memorial, he was good enough to send me these thoughts
1. Include basic …read more

Ever since I suffered my bereavement, I have had a mixed recollection of memories. Let me explain…
I can remember feelings, I can remember places, I can remember events and yet I cannot remember his face. The only memory that I have is that of him dying in the hospital, it is as though my mind has blocked out any other memories I have….I thought with time they would return and yet no….they remain elusive.
At first I hated it, I wanted to remember the smile, the face, they eyes….and now I wonder whether it is a good thing? The fact that …read more

I know that one of our readers had an anniversary yesterday and it would be great to know how she but here are my thoughts

Allow yourself to mourn. That may take different forms but if you want to cry then let yourself cry. We are trying to be strong and rebuild our lives and we are allowed to feel the pain of someone dying.
I try not to be alone as much as I want to be, I know that it will cause depression so I make sure that either a close friend comes round or I visit my mum.
When I am …read more

As time goes by from the death the memories I find become more and more intangible. One thing I have found is that if you can keep those memories alive, if you can keep those memories part of your life then it helps.
I have found that doing two things have helped me. I helped build a memorial in a garden, one that people could enjoy and reflected his life. For my dad I started blogging and podcasting about his ideas.
Somehow this kept the memories alive, it created a sense that they were still here helping the world as they would …read more