Planet Creature and After Maeve

Frank Coughlan and Robyn Brady are parents of Maeve who was killed in a road accident, at age 10, in November 2003. Jan Cattoni is a friend and documentary film Director of After Maeve: a film about the family and Maeve's friends following her death. The film is generating much interest internationally. This blog is for Frank, Robyn and Jan to offer thoughts as the film and the Planet Creature website are viewed by audiences in different countries.

Sunday, October 07, 2012

My foster daughters, at home and from far away


Ive talked before about "Fostering intergenerational relationships". For me its partly to do with relationships I've had with older mentors, and having soul-mates of various ages that I am not related to by genetics. Its also to do with an idea that we should act as custodians for our children and young people, not owners. (This is easier to say than do, but a close friend who is a genuine long term foster mother is setting a good example, seeking with every choice to act directly in her daughter's interest).
This picture shows some of the Bumbletown girls and me when our young friend Kim visited from Belgium, just after our second screening there. Kim, who had lost her sister in a sudden traumatic accident like Maeve's, had contacted us when she was just sixteen after our first screening. She just "got" what we were trying to say with the film, and it had been very helpful in her own integration of loss. When it came time to do the Down Under trip, she made sure she looked us up, and we all went out for sushi.
Look at all the lovely women I got to hang out with. How I love them! Always a treat.