This afternoon I took a walk to the Rosary Cemetery, the most romantic of Victorian graveyards. It is where festoons of ivy drape themselves over the elaborate tombs, angels peek out from the thick brambles, and epitaphs are slowly eaten away by the elements. It may be overgrown, but not it is not unloved.   Walking along one of the many paths, I came across a young woman asleep on a grave, two empty wine bottles by her side.

Maybe it is easier to leave something that you once found beautiful if you let it slowly die first. A rose whose petals are withered and fading tugs less on the heartstrings than one still in full bloom. My garden has been synonymous with me since I first began it over ten years ago. Once an overgrown and neglected space, it soon became my pride and joy, a sanctuary to escape to when I needed it. When the world was locked down, it was where I retreated to. It kept me sane.

If I were to go through Wild by Cheryl Strayed and highlight all that resonates with me at this moment, I should turn the pages yellow.

Beauty can sometimes be found in the most unconventional of circumstances, including death.

I first became aware of the existence of ghosts when I was five years old

If we were to take everything reported in the news and media as gospel, we would likely be under the impression that only good people...

Listening to and guiding others through the grieving process gives counsellors a unique insight into life and death.

I have never been to see a counsellor, although it could be argued there have been times, I may well have benefited from doing so.

Since the outbreak of Corvid-19 it has felt like our lives resemble that of a Hollywood movie storyline.

In Part Two I aim to delve that bit deeper and ask… how do I feel about dying myself?

And so it is, with a certain amount of trepidation, I am exploring my thoughts, feelings and experiences of death.

Death, for many of us, is a disconcerting subject. It’s one to which there is no universally acceptable response or reaction.

Despite his untimely death in December 2011, Christopher Hitchens is still very much alive in our house