Last year, I made a conscious decision to temporarily leave behind life as I knew it and move to the opposite side of the world to care for my elderly mother. I have not done this lightly. I have left behind my adult children, my close friends and a life that I enjoy.

There is grief in this, although it can be difficult to name.

It was deep loss that first taught me to view life as pilgrimage; fragile, sacred, and continually unfolding.

It feels slightly ironic to be writing about harmony at a time when the world feels unsettled, and many are living with uncertainty and fear. And yet, perhaps it is in times like these that harmony matters most. Not as something distant, but as something we can begin to nurture within ourselves, allowing it to ripple outward as a gift to others.

As we head into Christmas week, I would like to remind you that it’s okay if you’re not feeling especially “Christmassy”, particularly if you are a person of faith.

“I think grief is a gift,” said my friend, agonising over the unexpected death of her brother. “Without the initial numbing sensation how would we cope with the anguish?”

I don’t often hear people describe the intensely painful act of grieving in this way. But I wholeheartedly agree with my friend.

Grief, though agonising, is a sacred gift.

They say the only certainties in life are death and taxes but I believe there’s another:

The certainty that life is filled with uncertainty