Emily Russell's husband Mike died at St Catherine's in 2006 and Emily attended our Tree of Light Service in 2007.  Here she shares her thoughts on that experience.

"It's helpful to have the service in the lead up to Christmas, which can be a difficult time.

The hospice has no expectation that you have got over your loss.  They understand your feelings and it makes you feel very safe, very accepted for who you are and that it's OK to still feel like a jelly wreck sometimes! The service allows you to have the space to remember whilst knowing that everyone else there understands.

You are allowed to feel comfortable, to think about the person who is important to you and to do so amongst a community of other people in the same position as you.

Putting a candle on the tree felt right - the knowledge that the trees with their lights were going back to the hospice is comforting.  The fact that the hospice had gone to the trouble to organise moving the trees was a powerful message - this showed that we were not forgotten.  St Catherine's shared this experience with us, a time that was very difficult, and they're still here for us.  We are not left adrift."

Emily Russell