It has been almost three months since my mum passed away. Since then, I've written about the eulogy I delivered at her funeral, and how I felt when the furniture was cleared from her flat. I've also written about the grief cycle I've experienced over the past four years. In other words, I've spent a lot of time thinking about death and dying. A friend of mine, who also lost her mother in … [Read more...] about This is how the story ends…
storytelling
Remnants of a life well lived
It was the sofas that got me. Pink velour, now more dusty than dusky - a matching pair, stuffed with memories of days spent drinking, chatting and laughing with my mum in her flat in Amersham, and for many years before that in her bungalow in Mumbles, Swansea. (The picture shows my sister Ginette, niece Amy and mum Lucille cuddling up on one of them.) As I watched them being carried out of the … [Read more...] about Remnants of a life well lived
Why we need the C-19 story to give us a symbol of hope
It started with a dry cough. Patient zero was found in China. The virus was highly infectious. Experts talked about contact tracing, social distancing and the importance of hand-washing. There were asymptomatic carriers. Schools were closed. There was panic buying. Conspiracy theories. Misinformation. Fake and untested cures. Emergency hospitals in sports arenas... No, I’m not telling the story … [Read more...] about Why we need the C-19 story to give us a symbol of hope
What the parsnip does it all mean?
I've always been fascinated by synchronicity – events that have no causal relationship but seem to be meaningfully related. Last week, a friend came over to my place to give me cooking lessons. What? Cooking lessons? At my age?!? Yep. It has long been a source of shame and guilt that I hardly ever cook anything from scratch. I moved into my new flat in March and, until my friend visited, had … [Read more...] about What the parsnip does it all mean?
How I found meaning in The Mumbles
When I want to feel connected to my roots I come to The Mumbles, a seaside town near Swansea. I've been coming here since I was a little girl, so it feels like a home from home.I’m currently staying a short walk away from the pharmacy that was once a hair salon run by my paternal grandparents and the two-up two-down where my mum was born and grew up.But the place that’s most resonant for me here … [Read more...] about How I found meaning in The Mumbles
Does it really make a difference when you tell stories on social media?
Over the past few weeks I’ve been conducting a social media experiment. Having lost my mojo and gone through a phase of posting hardly anything for months, I re-engaged by setting the intention of finding and sharing stories on Facebook and Instagram rather than just posting pictures with short captions or random updates. My hope was that sharing stories that made a point would create more … [Read more...] about Does it really make a difference when you tell stories on social media?