大象传媒

Good morning.
It is almost a year since my youngest brother rang to tell me that our mother had died. She was 84 and had not been ill - in fact, earlier that week she had been at work: one day at the local nursery school listening to children read, and another day at a charity shop. Then on the morning of January the 15th, 2017, she died of a heart attack. It was a huge shock to me and my seven siblings.

Our father died almost 18 years ago, and now with mum gone, we worry that we have lost the heart of the family. To whom do we turn when we have news, good or bad? Who acts as a central information exchange, reminding us of birthdays and keeping us in touch with news from the wider family?

This was a sorrowful epiphany - the realisation that there was no longer anyone in charge of the family. There was a void, where previously there had been a figure of love and authority. I鈥檓 told that following the death of the second parent, a natural part of the grieving process is coming to accept the loss of someone who validated your actions. Loss of this validation and approval leaves you bereft and helpless, no matter how senior, confident or qualified you might be.

For a person of faith, it is reassuring to realise that we haven鈥檛 been abandoned: there is a well of support that can be drawn on in times of need.

Let us pray: that no one is left alone with their sorrows; and let us give thanks for those who comfort us in our darkest times. And help us to look with optimism to a new year of promise and challenge, knowing that we are cared for and loved.
Amen.