A few days after Abi died, we were already thinking about how we could somehow give something back to the people who helped her, and as a way to remember her life. It’s hard to explain why, while sat in a hospital waiting room with my daughter still with us, I had this urge toContinueContinue reading “Fundraising … far more than charity”
Tag Archives: grief
Abi’s dragonflies
I’ve just been browsing an old computer file of Abi’s artwork… random stories, computer drawings and images saved over the years. How interesting to find a file called DRAGON FLYS. It was created on 9th February 2009 … wow … four years before Abi died. She would have been nine years old then. There’s noContinueContinue reading “Abi’s dragonflies”
And then our world fell apart
It is exactly a year ago today that Abi came downstairs looking pale and complained she felt really ill. Exactly a year since our world was turned upside down and inside out. I never really imagined what this day would be like, despite people telling me ‘all the anniversaries will be hard’. Anniversaries? Anniversaries areContinueContinue reading “And then our world fell apart”
When tomorrow starts without me…
We chose the complete version of this well-known poem to be the only reading at Abi’s brief cremation service. Finding a reading which meant something and was not overly sentimental was very difficult. Nothing seemed to be fitting for Abi’s ‘final word’… nothing could be. But this poem spoke to us, it was both aContinueContinue reading “When tomorrow starts without me…”
There is always tomorrow…
Some days I feel like grief has slapped me in the face so hard. This was one of them, about four months (in July) after Abi died. I wrote about this particular day as it was a full 24 hours of challenging thoughts and emotions… Last night, I dreamed about ending my life. Well, toContinueContinue reading “There is always tomorrow…”
Counting your blessings after the death of your child
At times in the past year, I’ve heard it suggested that at least we have our other children to keep us going. It’s never said to mean that Abi’s death was any less distressing, but as a way to comfort and reassure. I’ve often thought this myself too. When I feel mournful, I consider howContinueContinue reading “Counting your blessings after the death of your child”
The fragility of life – when death comes knocking
In my blog, My grief observed, I wrote about death bringing the fragility of life to the forefront. When you hear of someone dying it makes you consider, even briefly, your own mortality. When it happens directly to someone you love, it often forces you to focus on your own life/health much more intensely, thatContinueContinue reading “The fragility of life – when death comes knocking”
Balancing the kindness of strangers…
[Taken from notes written around July 2013] After Abi died, we kept people informed via Facebook, which was a great help to us as it saved having to contact lots of people at an impossibly difficult time and also prevented any misunderstanding about what had happened to her – many people who knew Abi wereContinueContinue reading “Balancing the kindness of strangers…”
Glossing over grief
‘Singing light songs to the heavyhearted is like pouring salt in their wounds.’ Proverbs 25:20 If I’ve learnt anything from grief it’s this. Whilst browsing Proverbs (The Message), this jumped out at me instantly (I find that happens a lot, I can open the Bible and a single sentence will catch my eye and meanContinueContinue reading “Glossing over grief”
Candles for comfort
I was never a big candle user before we lost Abi. Having young children meant we needed to keep hazards to a minimum, they were a luxury in that regard! So, they were used for special events only and the odd occasion when I took one of those ‘mummy time’ baths purely to relax andContinueContinue reading “Candles for comfort”
Chasing Dragonflies 