A woman I knew who cared for older people for many years once told me that she marked the beginning of old age as the point at which an individual’s concern for beauty and appearance became instead, a preoccupation with health.In the young, beauty is the visible...
During Dying Matters Awareness Week, I hope more people feel able to talk about their experience of grief. Talk can help us process painful feelings. Sharing our feelings can be a great way to offer and receive the help and support we need. Grief has figured quite...
The last funeral I attended took all of 45 minutes from start to interment, less than 30 seconds for each year of a wonderful life lived by the deceased. When it comes to death, my culture (white, working class British) doesn’t like to waste its time. “Why do I feel...
This World Cancer Day, I've been wondering if this wretched disease has taught me anything... Hollywood actor Stanley Tucci was asked in a recent radio interview what he thought was the best way to deal with cancer. He was diagnosed with oral cancer in 2018 and...
Compassion is essential for the survival of our species. So why are we so reluctant to be compassionate with ourselves? Counsellors often talk about the importance of self-compassion, of being kind to yourself. Many of us struggle on through life encumbered by a...