A poem of farewell for nature lovers

A poem of farewell for nature lovers

When I talk to families and friends about organising a funeral or memorial service, people sometimes want ideas for a poem or reading. This one is a poem which a family found for their beloved person, and which I offered to another family a few years later. To my...
Her favourite bench

Her favourite bench

CONTENT WARNING: This blog post mentions suicide. Please exercise caution if you are in a sensitive place right now, and contact your mental health professional or Lifeline if this post brings up issues for you. This week I conducted a memorial service for a young...
After the funeral

After the funeral

I found out my former colleague had died when I looked him up on Facebook and his page reported, ‘deceased.’ What? The shock was like a gulp of cold water through my chest. We had not been close, but I don’t know. I had felt like we were kindred...
How to write a eulogy

How to write a eulogy

Jackie holding the advance reader copy of her book, ‘The Eulogy,’ coming out in June 2022 My debut autofiction novel ‘The Eulogy’ is coming out in June 2022, and today I received an advance copy of the book. The book is structured around a...
Fair Trading NSW’s funeral checklist

Fair Trading NSW’s funeral checklist

Organising a funeral can feel overwhelming. Many of us are in such a vulnerable and emotional state of mind when the time comes to make all the necessary arrangements. Often, the person organising the funeral has already been losing sleep for some time, as a carer for...
The typical elements of a funeral service

The typical elements of a funeral service

  I meet with families to discuss the funeral service and one of the first things people ask me is, ‘What do we do?’ As I break down the steps and elements of a funeral service, I can almost see the shoulders drop, the deep breath inhaled, and people...

Ever wonder what kids think about death?

People tend to be scared of talking about death. The Parting podcast is a series of discussions and stories, made and hosted by a group of brave, smart, funny and daring young people of Wollongong. I got to participate in one of the discussions and I learned a lot....