Winter 2021 - TCF Newsletter | www.tcf.org.uk 11 Glow of remembrance lights up Scottish town Sharryn McKelvie, TCF’s Regional Volunteer Coordinator for Scotland and Northern Ireland welcomed around 30 people to a special event in her local area - Biggar Remembers our Absent Friends. The loss of my son nearly destroyed me, but with the help of other bereaved parents from TCF I am here, learning to live my life without my bonny lad. Through understanding, hope, comfort and support I can battle my grief and immerse it with my love for Rory. I began working for the TCF charity early in 2021 and I believe passionately in the benefit of bereavement support, not just for child loss but for all our loved ones. As part of my role with TCF I have been working with other bereavement support facilitators throughout Scotland. A wonderful organisation called Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief is trying to create a Scotland where everyone knows how to help when someone is dying or grieving. Part of what they do, was to create the To Absent Friends Festival. Taking place every year in the first week in November, the festival is an opportunity, a reminder, and an excuse, to take time out to remember and celebrate the people we love who have died. The event Life Celebrant Iona Goldie went on to say “This is an opportunity for the people of Biggar to gather and light up this little corner of our town and let the memories of our loved ones, shine bright. And with our lights, we can bathe Biggar with a glow of remembrance and show the town that grief and love are just two sides of the same emotion – and that to experience and feel love and loss is part of what makes us human. So tonight we open our hearts and tell them how much we love them, how much we miss them. And as we place our lights or tie our ribbons we remind ourselves of everything that made them special to us, the times we shared and precious moments together. We carry their stories in our lives. Let us shine a light for them now”. of Corporate Hospitality with Leyland DAF. Dad came on board, took on the challenge and arranged everything from accommodation and catering to co-ordinating, implementing and managing the full itinerary. As Joe said the most memorable event was the Memorial Service on 7th August 1994 in Coventry Cathedral where “more tears were spilled that day than anyone had or have since experienced”. Joe and Iris became dear friends of mum and dad. Mum and dad were the most amazing parents, grandparents and friends. They were so wonderfully kind, caring, humble, thoughtful and positive people. They were so very loved by so many and are so missed. They touched many people both in their everyday lives and through their work with TCF. It feels so very fitting that I have been given an opportunity to write this tribute to them both, and about a period in our lives when TCF was so very important to them. We will carry them in our hearts always.
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