Message from Professor Dame Sue Black, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Engagement)
“This is the time of the heart.
“We can never truly prepare for the shock of losing someone we knew, whether an acquaintance, a colleague, a friend or family. At a time when perhaps we cannot be with those we love, when they may die alone, funerals are challenging and our final words of love may remain unspoken, we will all search for the strength to help us through dark days of guilt and grief. Few will remain unaffected by the ravages of the current crisis and so we might look to our own heart and those of others for the courage and comfort we will all need to persevere.
“The truth is that grief should hurt because it is a measure of how much the person we have lost really mattered to us. But when we genuinely hold those we care about in our heart, we never truly lose them. There is no comfort in soft words spoken at a safe distance but there is healing when we open our raw hearts to talk about those we loved and lost, when we choose to laugh at what they thought funny, when we sing their favourite tunes or repeat their favourite sayings. Tears and pain eventually transform into laughter and acceptance, by keeping them alive in our heart.
“These are difficult days that none thought, or chose, to experience, but we can take great comfort and reassurance in the limitless kindness, understanding, compassion and friendship in our community. Even in the midst of our own personal grief, we will find the courage to open our own hearts so that we can heal together."
Professor Dame Sue Black Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Engagement)
