Jayne Johnson - Civil Celebrant

14/01/2025

“Love Came First”

🖊️Donna Ashworth Author

08/01/2025

29/12/2024

It's not easy to grow old.
you have to get used to it
to walk more slowly,
to say goodbye to who you were
and salute who you've become.
It's hard this to fulfill years,
You have to know how to accept your new face
and walk with pride in your new body
And to be put off shame,
of prejudice and fear that the years give,
and let it happen what has to happen,
and let go whoever has to go,
and let whoever wants to stay stay.
No, this is not easy getting old,
you have to learn not to expect anything from anyone,
walk alone, wake up alone
and not to catch you every morning
the guy you see in the mirror,
and accept that everything is over
and life too,
and know how to say goodbye to those who leave
and remember those who have left,
and cry until it's empty
until it dries inside,
to grow new smiles,
other desires and new desires.

Alexander Jodorowsky

25/12/2024

For those of you missing someone special during
this festive season ..

When I go,
don’t learn to live without me,
just learn to live with my love,
in a different way.
And if you need to see me,
close your eyes,
or look in your shadow,
when the sun shines,
I’m there.
Sit with me in the quiet and you will know,
that I did not leave.
There is no leaving when a soul is blended with another.
When I go,
don’t learn to live without me,
just learn to look for me in the moments.
I will be there ..

Donna Ashworth 🍁

Artist Credit : Ileana Oakely

25/12/2024

This is a profound article written by my daughter after her father died.

"In the 12 years since entering the grief club (I guess it’s a club, I’m not sure what else to call it), I’ve learned that grief never goes away, not completely anyway. It is my experience that once the threshold is crossed, it’s something that stays with you forever. It’s almost as if you become a time traveler or that you straddle two realities or two worlds; the one before and the one after, and you’ll tick tock between the two, probably forever.

Like I said before, grief is forever, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing because the things that we feel surrounding grief are the reminders of someone or something that meant a tremendous amount to us. It’s the reminder that love was present, and that even if it’s no longer in its original form, that love still exists."

(Grief isn’t just remembering loss. It’s also reliving the love.-)

16/12/2024

"Grief isn’t holding onto loss," said Rabbit. "It’s holding onto love."

©️Tara Shannon

11/12/2024

I missed you quietly today. So quietly that no one noticed.
I missed you as I climbed out of bed and as I brushed my teeth; when I waited at the lights on the drive into work and as I heard the rain outside my window.
I missed you as I ordered lunch and as I kicked off my shoes when I got home; as I switched off the lights and climbed into bed for the night.
I missed you without tears or noise or fanfare.
But oh how I felt it.
I felt it in the morning, at lunchtime, in the evening and at night. I felt it as I woke, as I waited, as I worked. I felt it at home, on the road, in the light, in the dark, in the rain.
I felt it in every one of those moments, each one sitting heavier and heavier as the weight of me missing you kept growing and growing.
Yes, I missed you so quietly today.
But I felt it so loudly.
*****
Becky Hemsley 2024
Artwork by Lilymoon
‘Quietly’ is a newer poem

08/12/2024

Fantastic wee afternoon out… lunch at the starbar then a visit to the lights at the Botanics!! So good I’m going again! 😆… managed to burn my bottom lip when eating my toasted marshmallow though!!!

08/12/2024

There's something you need to know
To understand
From someone who's been there
And will be again...
In a place of overwhelming sadness
Of grief
Fear, worry..and anxiety
Stuck
In this moment that can last a short time
Or go on for days
Or weeks
Months
Even years

In these moments
These times
This -- this is where I'm at
All cylinders firing
Trying as best I can
Just to get by
Moment by moment
Day by day

And when I'm here
I'm not going to reach out

I'm just not
At least not yet

I'm not ready

I'm too busy
Too overwhelmed in the process of being and trying to find my way
To begin healing and searching out that speck of light in the dark that will hopefully begin guiding me out

So, no
I'm not going to reach out

But you

You... can reach in
And meet me where I'm at

Meet me with a gentle presence
With patience
No pressure
With empathy and care
And no expectations

Reach in
And don't be upset when I don't reach back

But
Do keep reaching in
Saying "hello"
"I'm thinking of you"...

That's enough

I know you're there
And I love you for it
Even if I don't say the words out loud

One day I will

When the weight of my world feels less heavy
After the sun has found its way in through the cracks

One day
You'll reach in

And

I'll reach back

©️Tara Shannon, 2024
Reach in

Image description: A little watercolour of my home that I've been working on. ❤️

***

I share this with the intent to offer comfort to those navigating grief and loss during the holiday season—a time often filled with gatherings, traditions, and joy, but also a time when the absence of loved ones can feel particularly heavy.

For me, this season is about gratitude—honouring the return of light, reflecting on the year's blessings and challenges, and treasuring connections with friends and family. Yet, it's also a poignant reminder that grief and loss are woven into the fabric of life.

If you're fortunate to celebrate with loved ones, cherish those moments deeply. And let's all hold space for those who are grieving, because the holidays can be a tender time, and loss touches us all in different ways.

T.S. ❤️

03/12/2024

When you should pity people for their stupidity.. but end up laughing at the poor wee souls instead. There, there, there.

02/12/2024

Lovely wee incident at the Queen Margaret Hospital today ... I was reversing (thankfully slowly) out of a space with a high car beside me when a girl (I think looking at her phone) walked behind me ... closely followed by her gran .... who started shouting that I should be checking my mirrors (I had) ... and was looking in my mirror when I noticed the girl (who didnt notice me) walking behind me, followed by her gran .... this "lady" then gave me a mouthful of abuse ... I think because she saw the Celebrant sign on the side of my car .... she had obviously not being paying attention to the back or she would have seen my veterans sticker .... I think she was quite taken aback when she got back as much as she gave. Seemingly I am going to be plastered all over facebook tonight .... fame at last and free advertising ... no doubt she is know for her stupidity and foul mouth .... LOL

21/11/2024

The reality is that you will grieve forever.
You will not 'get over' the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it.
You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered.
You will be whole again but you will never be the same.
Nor should you be the same, nor would you want to ..

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross ✨

Artist Credit: Jiri Petr

15/11/2024

Our loved ones leave behind a light
That will never dim or fade
It’s kept bright by the love we feel
And the memories we made

It can warm us like a candle’s glow
And help bring comfort too
And no matter where you go you’ll find
It’s always close to you

And in the darkest times remember
In our hearts their light is strong
So every time we think of them
Their memory shines on.

~ 'Their Light Shines On' by Andrea Jackson

~ Art by Shawna Erback