The only thing we can’t avoid…

Apparently Benjamin Franklin said the only two certainties in life were Death and Taxes. As it seems not everyone pays their taxes, I guess that leaves us with Death.

It’s the only common experience, one we cannot avoid – humans, animals and even trees that may live for thousands of years.

Given all this certainty, and that everyone we know will have know someone that died, it’s amazing that we are still so unable to discuss it. The discomfort is usually palpable, often physical and always emotional. We don’t like to talk about death, and I get it. Why would you?

Well, I suppose because the more we talk about it, or listen about it maybe, the more comfortable we’ll feel. The more ideas we will have in our ‘locker’ for when we need them. The fear of saying the ‘wrong thing’ will decrease, and the chance of better supporting people around us will increase.

wind

I’m hoping this space will allow us to have those conversations, consider those ‘right things’ to say and boost confidence in talking about tough things.

People have developed so many different ways to express grief, to manage it. In different cultures around the World it is handled in a wonderful variety of ways. I’ll be exploring some of those too – maybe we can all learn from each other?