Private grief and public memorials

LIFE

Where once grief was kept under wraps, it now seeps into the collective consciousness via social media and public memorials. But what are the consequences of this new openness? By Sally Piper.

I like to get away from the demands of life in nature. My chosen method of escape is bushwalking. I mostly walk alone. The only demands upon me then are those that I make upon myself.

I was walking on a less frequented trail recently when I came across a newly erected white cross at the side of the track. It was nestled in the elbow of a hill’s contour. The cut flowers at the cross’s base looked about two weeks dead.

To read the full article go to The Saturday Paper, published 4-10 May 2019