There is nothing harder to write than some words about a baby who has gone. It feels almost impossible. The point of a eulogy is to look back over a long life and recount the stories, habits, laughter and parts that made someone who they were. But when your baby only had hours or days … Read more
It’s one of the hardest things to find words for. When someone you care about has been through IVF and it hasn’t worked, or they’ve lost a pregnancy after everything they put themselves through to get there, you want to say something. You are also terrified of saying the wrong thing. It’s completely normal to … Read more
Writing an obituary is something no one likes doing. You have to do it when you’re grieving and exhausted and then suddenly you’re expected to sum up a whole life of a loved one in a few short paragraphs. Sometimes to a tight deadline. It a lot of pressure at a very hard time. The … Read more
Saying goodbye to your husband is hard to put into words. He was your partner, the one who knew the everyday ordinary version of you that nobody else got to see. And now you’re being asked to stand up and somehow sum all of that up at his funeral. This is where a poem can … Read more
Writing a short obituary can feel strange. You get a short space in a newspaper column or tiny box in a funeral program and have to fit a persons whole life inside it. It can almost feel a bit disrespectful. But a short obituary isn’t a smaller version of a life. It’s a clear public … Read more
When someone tells you they have a terminal diagnosis it’s understandable to not know how to respond. It could be the person themselves, sitting across from you. Maybe it’s a friend letting you know about their husband or their mom. Whoever it is you want to say something good. You also really don’t want to … Read more
A celebration of life is a different kind of way to say of goodbye. You still feel the pain, and you’re very much hurting, but the whole point is to lift your head a little and remember the good. You look back on all the laughter you had. The stories you’ll be telling for years. … Read more
When you’re waiting for surgery, be it a routine procedure or something more serious, it’s understandable to feel nervous in the days beforehand. And if it’s someone you care about going under the knife you probably want to say something. The trouble is knowing what. You don’t want to be too gushing but on the … Read more
It’s hard to know what to say to someone after a serious injury or a new disability. You want to be there for them and say something that helps. But the usual things we say in these sorts of circumstances often feel wrong. “Get well soon” isn’t right when the situation might be permanent and … Read more
When someone you love passes you’ll probably have started to receive flowers very quickly. And they’re lovely. It’s such a kind and thoughtful gesture. But a lot of families these days would rather see that money go somewhere meaningful. A charity the person cared about. Maybe the hospice that looked after them. Or even a … Read more