Grief follows more than a death. David Linaker, funeral celebrant and former priest, reflects on the grief of divorce and broken relationships, the grief of losing a job or career, and the values that hold steady when vision and purpose are lost. A reflection on grief, identity and rebuilding a life after loss.
Show notes
Grief follows more than a death. When a marriage ends or a working life is taken away, the wound goes to the heart of who we are, and the person or the old life is often still in plain sight.
In this episode, funeral celebrant and former Church of England priest David Linaker carries last week’s love, lose, live pattern into the losses that come without a funeral. Drawing on his own experience of divorce and on the hundreds of weddings he has conducted, David explores:
* why the end of a marriage can wound as deeply as a death, and why the continued presence of the other person can sharpen the pain
* the grief of the one who betrayed as well as the one betrayed
* losing a job or a career, and what it does to our sense of status and place in the world
* the three-legged stool of identity: vision, purpose and values
* why values, more than Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, are the compass for reading the map of a life after loss
This week’s practiceDraw four columns: how I believe I should treat others; how I believe I should be treated; how I want to show up in the world; my core values. Fill the first three as fully as you wish, then distil from them the few words that name your values.Download the free worksheet:
Or simply draw the four columns in your journal.
From the episode: “Getting clear about your values and who you want to be is of higher value than any treasure.”
Links
* Website:
https://www.davidlinaker.com
* Instagram: @davidlinaker_author (https://www.instagram.com/davidlinaker_author)
* Book: Finding Peace in the Second Half of Life: Love, Loss, Grief and the Search for Meaning: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GTYCZ5XB
A rating or review helps others who are grieving to find the podcast, so do leave one if this episode meant something to you.
This podcast offers reflection and companionship rather than counselling or professional support. Anyone in distress can call Samaritans, free and at any hour, on 116 123 (UK and Ireland), or visit samaritans.org.
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