In July 2019 I lost my wife, after a four-year battle with cancer. This left me a widowed father of three young girls, aged seven, five and four at the time. A few months later and still in the initial stages of grieving, we entered the COVID-19 lockdown which increased the challenges we faced.
I'm not a clinical professional; not a doctor, psychologist or counsellor and I do not have a blueprint coping strategy for everyone dealing with loss or any other disruptive life event. What I am is a bereaved father with a full-time job, a household to run and sanity to maintain.
The intention of my books is to highlight and reflect on the thoughts, feelings and emotions I experienced, or observed my daughters' experiencing, during the period of my wife's illness and following her death.
In doing so, I hope the authentic accounts will resonate with people experiencing similar emotions, whatever the individual reason or trigger behind them.
My intention is to raise awareness of the devastating impact that a range of negative emotions can cause, but also normalise these emotions and help break down the taboos surrounding loss and mental health for both children and adults.
A core message of 'Resilience' is to highlight just how resilient we are by nature and the dedication in that book is to everyone who has taken the time to listen to me, which has helped me put the pieces of my life back together.
The honest, personal nature of the books made them difficult to write; however, my hope is that the relatability of the content can, in some way, help other people who are going through similar experiences.
