Over the years since my son died I have taken better care of my body so that it can carry my experience more effectively and so that I can engage with joy and connect with the people I love.

There is one thing that all bereaved parents agree on and that is that the level of pain we experience, especially in the early days and months, but also scattered liberally about the coming years and strewn about the rest of our lives, is utterly unimaginable.

Being vulnerable is being at risk of harm from something outside ourselves, something that cannot be predicted or controlled. When we communicate with another person, whether that is as a casual acquaintance or a life partner we make ourselves vulnerable when we share something about ourselves with the other person and that is a risk.