Bob Carr's Grief Journey After Helena's Death

0:00Here's more Sydney news from March 6th. Former New South Wales Premier and Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has released a new memoir detailing his deep grief after losing his wife, Helena, his partner of 50 years. She passed away suddenly from an aneurysm while they were vacationing in Vienna last October. The book captures their intertwined lives and his struggle to move forward. Carr describes wandering Sydney streets at night for months, revisiting spots tied to their shared memories like old restaurants and theaters. These walks helped him hold on to images of Helena, whom he met as a young migrant from Malaysia with Chinese and Indian heritage. Many people face tough losses like illness or disability, and Carr notes his experience as just one kind, not worse than others. Right after her death, he turned to books on grief by authors like Joan Didian, Julian Barnes and C.S. Lewis to make sense of the emptiness. To cope day-to-day, Carr had to learn basic tasks Helena always handled, from using the

1:03washing machine and cooking in a walk to internet banking and ride-sharing apps. He calls it living a leftover life, pushing through the shock of sudden solitude. These days, Carr walks in the daylight through places like the Botanic Gardens, reflecting on their past while staying active in public life. His story shows how bereavement tests resilience, but most people find a way to endure. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor, or see the episode description. If earbuds fall out when you sleep, this is for you. A pillow with built-in sound, S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com