As part of my shift to working with the grief that stems from environmental loss, I recently interviewed my friend Rita Freitas. We were both students on the University of Glasgow’s End of Life Studies MSc programme. Rita is from Portugal. She lives in Lisbon but has a house in a rural area of the country called Castelo Branco.
This summer the village was threatened by wildfires. Mercifully the village itself emerged undamaged but all around were scenes of devastation. Trees, crops, vines, beehives, livestock pets…. terrible losses.
I asked if I could interview Rita and I have made our conversation into a little video. In it, Rita explains how these were not just material losses. They deeply affected these communities that are so connected to the land. Ancient fruit trees and vines can never be replaced. They represent something of the very identity of the people.
Here is the video. It is my tribute to the communities affected by the fires and my way to acknowledge their loss.