Last night I shared my experiences of losing my Dad, writing and grief with a room of more than 400 people as part of Ignite Cardiff. Afterwards members of the audience hugged me, told me about loved ones they had lost, promised they would write a poem. It was an incredible and moving experience.
Today this lovely lady from the audience wrote a post about the talk as well as her own experience of using writing to overcome grief and the loss of an important relationship. I am so grateful to her, and everyone else, for listening and sharing the message to write, listen, and be kind. Thank you Buttercup Belle!
Last night I attended my final ever Ignite Cardiff; and bloody hell it was a goodun. A perfect mixture of poignant and hilarious talks, coupled with the dynamic atmosphere the night is renowned for… it really did tick all the boxes.
And whilst every single person did a first class job (with special kudos to my dear friend Miranda who did a stunning call out for more female speakers), there was one talk in particular that really blew me away.
Christina Thatcher took to the stage about halfway through the evening. I’d been looking forward to her talk, “Writing Grief”, but wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But, ya know, it had the word “writing” in it so it was obviously going to be good.
What did ensue was pretty overwhelming. Christina spoke with a touching honesty about the passing of her Father a year ago; her words were raw…
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Christina Thatcher 
Hi, Christine.
I hope you’ll excuse me, but I can barely express how much I loved your talk. I’m in Cornwall, and I’ve just watched the video. I’ve grieved before, and I’m grieving now. This latest experience has all but taken my writing from me, but since watching your talk, I realise how important it is to at least try to restore that.
Thank you for the nudge.
Take care,
Casey
Hi Casey,
Thank you for your kind and wonderful comment. Although I am sorry to hear about your loss, it is nice to know that my ‘Writing Grief’ talk spoke to you in some small way. For me, the most important and valuable part of losing my Dad has been the connections I’ve made with other people – particularly through writing. I do hope you will begin to restore this for yourself, it can do wonders.
I am looking forward to reading your blog and learning more about your experiences as well.
Best wishes,
Christina