Widow.ie

Christmas is a difficult time of year for those who are recently bereaved. Even people bereaved a number of years Christmas and the New Year can be a very sad time of year with memories of those who are missing.

The five main Irish Banks have committed to improving the treatment of bereaved customers by establishing a common commitment of care.

New provisions allowing Leaving Certificate students who suffer a close family bereavement during the state examinations in June to sit alternative papers in July.

Everybody’s grief is personal to them, and everybody grieves differently. There isn't a template, and there is certainly no handbook that will guide you.

Ricky Gervais's latest offering, After Life on Netflix, is classed as a dark comedy. Normally, I try to avoid shows where the primary focus is a widowed spouse. Mainly because some of these shows are just badly written, they portray the bereaved as being sad for five minutes then back to taking on the world as if no life changing event occurred.

I have a story to tell. Perhaps it’s not really a story, but, rather, a little vignette from my life. It is a vignette that deals with reality, or truth, or perception, depending on the reader’s interpretation. Four months, one week, and two days ago my beautiful wife Catherine died, just short of our forty fifth wedding anniversary. It was a sudden and unexpected death. Although our children and I were inconsolable, I drew some small comfort from the fact that it was a very peaceful, painless and fear free passing from this life. But, it was only a small comfort.