Today is St. David’s Day, and I am home. Home being the small Welsh village of Rhos. As someone who lives overseas and experiences the occasional bouts of  ‘hiraeth’ I see very little recognition here, that marks this important day on a scale that can be appreciated across the world. It isn’t even a’  national’  holiday! In contrast’ who doesn’t know that’  March 17, is St. Patrick’s Day?

My earliest memory of our patron saint’s day is attending my’  village school with a’  leek pinned to my sweater ( which I later used as a sparring weapon at playtime) and taking part in the annual St David’s Day concert in the school hall.”  We even got’ go home after the concert, imagine a whole half day off!

While in Wales I just might celebrate by dining on  faggots and peas, laverbread and welsh cakes all traditional welsh fare- although curry and chips really does seem to be a more poplar local choice.’  Of course as a’  fanatical welsh rugby fan I have already visited the boys in the pub and watched a game!

So it just remains for me to wish you all ‘Dydd Gwyl Dewi Dewydd’! Happy St David’s Day

My mother passed away on Saturday. Everyone keeps telling me how sorry they are, and this started me thinking. I am feeling strangely detached at the moment, but that is OK. How are you supposed to feel when someone dies? Well just how you are feeling¦. You will know your emotions better than anyone else. So when people tell you how sorry they are¦ (its what everyone says when they hear someone has died¦ its because they expect you to be sad and upset, and that they are expecting you to be experiencing grief in this particular way.
I have learned through my many years as a therapist not to have expectations of what my emotions should be right now.I share this story with you so that when you lose someone close to you, whatever you feel, angry, relieved, sad, acknowledge your emotions¦. Your path through grief is as unique as you.

If confession is good for the soul, then I must start the new year with a confession about my addiction. I seem to be addicted to the movie Pride and Prejudice I have watched it 4 times in the last month, and can even recite some of the actors lines. Yes, this is sad, and I know some of you will be encouraging me to leave the house more often, but what can psychology do to de-mystify this behaviour. Yes, I understand that both pride and prejudice are barriers to understanding, and maybe are at the heart of many social evils, but that does not help me. Maybe I am an opponent of social class, and just want Elizabeth Bennett to triumph over that; that does seem to be pretentious of me. Maybe I just like period costumes. Worry no longer; research published in the New Scientist this week suggests that Victorian novels like Pride and Prejudice teach us how to behave!. Now I know I am in trouble, because my other addiction is watching Wedding Crashers. Now who doesn’t like crab cakes?