Top 5 for Friday - Death and Bereavement

I'm off to a funeral this afternoon for one of my old primary school teachers who I have kept in touch with. He admitted a couple of years ago that he had hoped I would become a teacher, but conceded that librarian was the next best thing. So I am off to celebrate his life and it has got me looking for just the right words, something that we often help people do in the library on just such occasions.

1. Beyond Absence - collected by Edward Searl. This "treasury of poems, quotations and readings on death and remembrance" is just one of the books that is held by the library with words for the service, a personal note or for comfort.
2. Sometimes it's not a poem about death, remembrance or grief that you are looking for but that favourite poem of your loved one. One of the most satisfying experiences I have ever had as a librarian is managing to help a gentleman find his mother's favourite poem for her service (and he had a last little giggle as she had got the poet wrong). Often we find the words in books like Best-Loved Poems (Neil Philip - Editor) but we have volumes of poetry as well as all our on line resources which we can utilise in our detective work to find what you are looking for.
3. Earth, Sea, Sky by Patricia and Waiariki Grace with photos by Craig Potton is just one volume of Images and Maori Proverbs which have been published by Huia. The Maori proverb is accompanied by the English translation as well as a short explanation. It is simple but inspiring.
4. It's not something we really like to talk about but there are things we can do to prepare for death. That starts with making a Will and can also include creating a Family Trust, a subject that we often get inquiries about here at the Library. A lot of lawyers recommend Martin Hawes book Family Trusts so we try to have several copies of this on the shelves, but it is not the only book on the subject so have a look around or do a Subject Search Trusts - New Zealand.
5. Everyone deals with loss differently and we have a selection of books in the library to help you work your way through the process. 101 ways you can help (Liz Aleshire) and After life, after you : true stories of love, grief and hope (S.K. Reid) are two quite new books that give different perspectives on bereavement.

An honourable mention today comes from a title that I came across writing today's blog. The Book of Death: Kicking the Bucket in Style (Sarah McKenzie, Liz Poole and Amanda McKenzie) has such an in-your-face title that I am pretty sure it would be worth a read.

In the meantime, here is a proverb from Earth, Sea, Sky (mentioned above)

Rarangi maunga, tu tonu, tu tonu. Rarangi tangata, ngaro noa, ngaro noa.

You have gone. But your mountain is everlasting.

RIP Val.