The Importance Of Storing Memories with Jess Dornan Lynas

The ever changing landscape of how we grieve, is something that has been continuously discussed on the podcast. The internet and social media have had a huge role in creating new ways to remember someone who has passed away over the past 15 years. These relatively new avenues of expression have many benefits, but like all things online - there are still a huge amount of pitfalls that come with using Facebook or Twitter as a place to cherish the memory of a parent, friend, sibling or child.


This week’s guest on the podcast is hoping to change this landscape, by creating a custom built space to help the bereaved commemorate their loved ones. Jess Dornan Lynas lost her Mum, Lorna, to pancreatic cancer when she was just 19 years old. She has spent the 20 years since, yearning for a means to remember her mum better and ways to really celebrate her life. When able, Jess visits Lorna's grave with her children.


It is a nostalgic and cathartic experience for them all. But it struck Jess whilst looking at her Mum's headstone, which reads 1948-1998 that it is the dash between those dates which barely hints at her amazing life and all its stories. Jess has realised that this is all part of the grieving process which is ongoing throughout one's life.


This remembering and celebrating life is incredibly important and can offer real catharsis. She speaks to Sasha and Venetia on how Afterbook was conceived, to digital assist this process. Motherhood is also a huge talking-point during this episode, as Jess speaks about the emotional impact her mother's absence has taken, one her own experience in raising her children without their grandmother to share in the memories.


If you're looking for a safe haven to express how you feel,

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Join the Grief Encounters Facebook Group,

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Music by: Nctrnm


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