In this post Sophie reflects on 4 key ways she supports her partner after the loss of his dad.

When we lose a parent, there can often be a shift in dynamics among other family members. Naturally, a gap forms - a space your person once occupied - that came with habits, rituals, and responsibilities that are now trying to be filled by other people…

We’re sharing Josh’s story as he is running Madrid Marathon in April and fundraising for It’s Time! He is running in memory of his dad and shares his reflections on his journey with grief.

Montana shares her story of losing her dad in 2023. She reflects on her experience of grief, as well as the love she grew up around and how this has impacted her view on life.

Throughout this new mini-series at It’s Time, we are tackling some of the more challenging sides of grief. Those feelings that perhaps we’re embarrassed to admit, or fill us with confusion as to why we feel them. Although we’re told that any feelings are valid when you’re grieving, sometimes it can be helpful to dive into them a little more, in order to understand ourselves and our grief better.

Being at University is a time like no other. For many of us, it signifies our first taste of ‘freedom’ away from the comforts (and confines) of our hometowns, and the beginning of some resemblance of adult life. While it is a time to embrace the lack of responsibility and routine, university can also be a very isolating place when you’re struggling with your mental health.

Based on the 2009 novel by David Nicholls of the same name, One Day was made into a film in 2011 starring Anne Hathaway, before Netflix safely delivered it to our screens in February 2024, to fill the Normal People shaped hole in our hearts….

Although grief can and will be experienced by everyone at some point, it can rarely be left at the office door. It can feel like an untouchable topic in a professional environment - too personal to bring to work but also too all-consuming to suppress and ignore all day. It’s the elephant in the office.

When I was young, I loved nothing more than looking to the future. What would I become? Who would I be? The world was full of endless opportunities.The future was exciting. But after losing a parent, the world can feel more hostile. Life can feel colder and more harsh.

New Year’s can feel like a blank slate, but when you’re grieving, you may not have the excitement or enthusiasm to start afresh in new and exciting ways. You may just want to carry your feelings through, really feel them, and survive another day.

‘When he’d died, I’d been so sad I’d worried I’d never feel better. Now I wished I was sadder again, because feeling nothing made me worry I was broken.’ - Freya Bromley, The Tidal Year.

After losing a parent, being away at university can feel like welcome relief from many reminders and situations that can be overwhelming when you’re grieving. Life when you’re studying is more focused on socialising, studying, and desperately trying to make that last £10 in your account last the rest of the month, rather than death and grief.

As a young person, life seems to be in a constant state of flux at all times. Some people cope well with it. They’re able to embrace the uncertainty and adapt quickly to new routines. Others find change more challenging, and quite an unsettling and uncomfortable experience.

Every year it feels as though Christmas creeps earlier and earlier into our consciousness. For many, it can be the most painful time of year. It’s a time that’s laden with memories of loved ones no longer around, rudely highlighted by the missing space at the table. Family traditions seep into non-existence as these rituals become too painful to perform without the people there that made it so special.

When we lose someone we love, we lose our way of life before their death. Things we once enjoyed become a different experience, charged with all kinds of different emotions and memories. Guilt is often quick to strike and can strip us of the joy we once had.

Libby Mills & David Fagan

Nia Roberts

Harry Finch