Idle Conversations

In this Idle Conversations series on Grief, Julia shares her story of losing her father through Ambiguous Loss, a state whereby people are physically present, but psychologically absent.  They are ‘here, but not here.’  As in Julia's case, ambiguous loss related to her fathers gradual decline into mental illness.  The language of grief need not be reserved for just the dead, but it is easier to understand it that way. It is more rational. In a state of ambiguous loss, people feel that they can’t rightfully grieve because although it feels like a loss, it isn’t really one.  Yet here she was, having occupied a grief filled, ambiguous inbetween space, without even being aware of its existence. Julia discusses openly how she is making sense of and coping with her grief.  You can also read her written story, by logging onto the website www.idleconversations.com.

In this episode on Grief, Stacey McMaster discusses her experience dealing with her grief after the passing of her father Andrew.  Specifically, she offers tips regarding what she needed most from the people around her to help her feel supported and less alone.  You can also tune into  Episode 1 "Grieving the Loss of a Parent", where Stacey discusses how she navigated to debth of grief after her father passed away.  When she was 22, Stacey's parents separated after 30 years of marriage.  Two years later, in 2016, her mother was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, then in 2017, her father passed away, only 5 weeks after he was diagnosed with lung cancer.  

In 2014, aged 22, Stacey's parents separated after 30 years of marriage.  Two years later, in 2016, her mother was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, then in 2017, her father passed away, only 5 weeks after he was diagnosed with lung cancer.  In this 2-part series on Grief, Stacey discusses her experience dealing with her grief after the passing of her father Andrew. She offers insights into the emotions she experienced, and tools that helped her cope along the way.  If you'd like to connect with Stacey or Ros, you can contact them through www.idleconversations.com.  To hear Ros talk about her own diagnosis of stage 4 bowel cancer, listen to Podcast episode 4 - The Gift That Is Cancer