grief

The Spectre of Mortality – Getting Older Ain’t No Fun! – Episode 239

In this episode, Dara is reflecting on ageing and mortality as he responds to his father’s current health battles. His father, who has dementia, is in a particularly vulnerable state at the moment and though he is confident the situation is only temporary, Dara knows it is an undeniable sign of the direction of travel that will only end in one place.

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What Are We Looking For? Warm Blood and Sensory Connection! – Episode 220

Embattled by consecutive migraines, Dara is reckoning with a system under pressure. He attempts to own the state he’s in while advocating for a deeper connection with what lies beneath all the turbulence. This line of enquiry leads to thoughts on observing a month’s mind for Pepper, the family dog. A phrase used by the Venerable Bede in relation to that tradition inspired a new poem, which is shared.

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Reaching for the Tourniquet, or How to Stop the Bleeding – Episode 218

In this episode, Dara admits to being a bit exhausted after moving house for the fifth time since the pandemic. It is not the most fun he has ever had and the ongoing grief ripples over Pepper the dog are adding to the load. However, the glass is (probably) half-full and at least the nickname for the new home has come very quickly and easily.

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What’s So Great About It? – The Dubious Value of Nostalgia – Episode 169

For the second time in the show’s history, Dara is considering the questionable value of nostalgia. While allowing that there are wellness benefits to understanding the connection between nostalgia and loss, and the stark reality of nostalgia’s relationship to ageing, there is something offensive about a particular brand of generalised nostalgia that regularly raises its unoriginal head on social media.

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What Is a Man, Anyway? Part 3 – Episode 157

In this lachrymose episode and further exploration of masculinity, Dara is talking about the benefits of crying. He confesses to being a crier anyway, easily shedding tears over any number of things, but goes on to share an extremely recent loss that knocked him sideways with the tears it provoked. He argues that there is a ranking system that qualifies the when and how much of crying.

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