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Thursday, July 9, 2026
Alcohol & Grief

Alcohol & Grief Don’t Mix Well

Alcohol & Grief: Losing a spouse is a difficult experience that can leave you feeling overwhelmed, sad, and helpless. In such times, some people...
Widowhood Touches Every Kind of Life

Widowhood Touches Every Kind of Life

Behind some of the world's most recognisable faces, grief is no stranger. When a partner dies, life can feel as though it has simply stopped....
Autumn

I’m Afraid Of The Light. I Love The Autumn Season

If you did a straw poll and asked folk what is their favourite season I'd hazard a guess that a lot of the answers would be Summer and Spring. After all they are the two seasons of growth and renewal. What's not to like about Summer? The days grow long. The sun shines and it's holiday time. Spring is the beginning of the end of Winter. Daffodils poke through the cold, wet ground and Mother Earth awakens from her Winter sleep. So, what about poor old Autumn/Winter? I like being different. I am not a great fan of Spring or Summer. There's too much light around. I love the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness that poet John Keats wrote about and and the Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.
how to help a recently widowed friend

How to Help a Recently Widowed Friend

Losing a spouse is one of the most difficult experiences that anyone can go through. In the aftermath of such a profound loss, it...
help the Newly Bereaved

Letter which may help the Newly Bereaved

Several years ago the following letter was shared onto our forums. Nobody knows who the original author was or where it came from but what's certain, its one of the most read posts we have.
mad about the boy bridget jones helen fielding

Bridget Jones is a Widow

Bridget Jones and Widowhood The latest instalment of Bridget Jones, due for release 10 October, has caused a bit of a fuss amongst fans and...

Things People Say to Widows

We've all been there, good meaning people who say stupid things. An American group, widowedvillage.org gathered together a number of the more frequently used comments widows and widowers tend to have said to them.
reading

I have rediscovered my love of reading.

So. I'm off work on sick leave. Again I have found my inner self being in conflict with my work self. Stress and anxiety. How to cope? Small steps forward led me back to an activity that had been a joy to me throughout my life. I've rediscovered my love of reading. I joined the Galway City Library recently. For free. Hundreds of books from A to Z. I was going to substitute a novel instead of doing more therapy. I was taking a big chance but it's working.
Elizabeth Turner – The Blue Skies of Autumn

Elizabeth Turner – The Blue Skies of Autumn

Elizabeth Turner – The Blue Skies of Autumn September 11th 2001. For Elizabeth Turner its more than a tragic event on the other side of...
Olympic games

I have been watching the Rio Olympic games 2016

I've been watching the 2016 Rio Olympic games from the start. I've loved watching many sports over the years but, to be pretty honest I've lost my mojo for getting into all things Olympic because of all the doping and corruption scandals. I began to watch last week with a huge dose of cynicism. Today I shed tears while watching the rowing finals. Ireland's O'Donovan Brothers have won a silver medal. It will be the first medal in Olympic rowing that Ireland has won. I felt very emotional and move