Thoughts and ideas shared in blog form here…
TML Gatherings - The Autumn Equinox
To mark the Autumn Equinox we held a gathering on the beach, connecting with nature and welcoming the seasonal changes as we looked towards the darker months of the year. We were blessed with a calm breeze and a nearly cloudless sky to enjoy a meditative nature walk, the creation of a nature-based art installation and a bring-and-share feast around the fire. We reflected on our experiences of the year so far and gave ourselves permission to be present with ourselves, each other and the sounds of the waves as high tide rolled in.
Image credit: Sammy Hill
Twenty years in the making
Twenty years is a long time, and yet it passes so quickly. Today marks two decades since I first set foot in the UK. What was meant to be a ten-month gap year became something altogether different and unexpected. If I’ve learned anything over the past couple of decades, it’s that life rarely unfolds as planned.
Image credit: Squarespace stock image
Caring in an uncaring world
I’ve been struck in recent years by the lack of care many of us hold for one another. Whether it’s central government continually targeting the most vulnerable in society with their never ending austerity-led cuts or the rampant consumerism that’s overtaking every aspect of our lives, we are fast losing the sense of community upon which we used to rely to help us out in our time of need.
Image credit: Squarespace stock images
Do ‘good’ endings matter?
I think as a society we’ve trained ourselves to push past endings as quickly as possible and focus our sights on the new beginnings ahead. Whether it’s the experience of job losses, losing a home, a business, the end of a cherished relationship or long-held dreams, it’s all part of life.
Image credit: Squarespace stock image
What, exactly, is the role of a death doula?
The role of a doula is nothing new. For as long as humans have lived in community, there have been those who quietly and steadfastly walked alongside others through life’s most profound thresholds. Just as every village had a healer or spiritual guide, there were always people, often women, who knew how to tend to a birthing mother, or how to sit with the dying, offering comfort, practical support and a steady presence. These were community roles, passed down through observation, experience and care, rather than through formal qualifications. They belonged to the fabric of daily life, woven into the rhythms of birth, death, and everything in between.
Image credit: Squarespace stock image
Seeking connection in a disconnected world
Have you noticed how the concept of connection has gradually become a lost art form since the pandemic? So many of us got used to not leaving the comfort of our homes during those long, uncertain lockdowns; and now, five years on, it seems fewer and fewer people are gathering, sharing, or simply being together in the ways we once took for granted.
Image credit: Esther Hall