You may find that one or more of these phases describe where you are in your grief at any time. Your progression from one stage to another may not be smooth, and where you are can vary from day to day …

your own funeral service is the opportunity to write with a dedicated person who is an interfaith minister and spiritual counsellor a service of your own choosing.

In the run-up to the festive season, we spare a thought for those who may be facing their last Christmas with, or first one without, a loved one as a result of a cancer diagnosis.

I think the hardest thing was seeing Barbara’s faculties slowly decreasing, which was so like seeing a child slowly developing new skills, but sadly in reverse.