News from the Room
As Billie’s birthday approaches, I’m reminded of how important it is to allow grief its space to breathe. I don’t mean chasing it or bracing against it, I mean recognising that it will naturally rise up on its own, and so giving it room when it does is important.
In the weeks leading up to anniversaries like this, I can always feel the weight of grief getting heavier. This year, it’s been pressing down even more. I think it’s because I’ve been holding it back for a while, trying to keep the momentum building with Room Eleven, the kids, and the everyday chaos of life. But eventually, grief insists on being felt. And this week, between sickness running through our house and Billie’s birthday nearing, I’ve realised I shouldn’t keep it packed down any longer.
So I’ve been taking my own advice to just let it out. Let it breathe. Grief needs its time in the sun. For me, Billie’s birthday is often when I allow myself to stop holding it all together, to step into the waves and let them wash over me. Not to collapse, but to reset. To honour her.
Because even though she’s not here, Billie is still an important part of our family. Six years later, that hasn’t changed. The grief doesn’t vanish, but neither does the love. So her birthday will be a day of mixed emotions, as it always is, but it will be her day. And for me, giving grief that space is part of what keeps me moving forward.
How do you give grief it’s space?
SCOOTING FOR HOPE
24 Hours - 1 Scooter - 1 Purpose
$100K for Pregnancy after loss Care
The 411
This Week at Room Eleven
This week I recorded the latest episode of the Room Eleven podcast with Gavin Blue, co-founder of the Heartfelt Foundation. Heartfelt are the ones who create photographs and memories for families who have lost a baby or a child, or who are preparing to. We were lucky enough to have Heartelt take photos of us with Billie in Room Eleven of the Women’s Hospital. Photo’s we cherish every single day.
It was a privilege to sit down with Gavin, hear about his background in photography, and talk through the challenges and stories behind starting Heartfelt. I’m looking forward to sharing this conversation when the episode is released in the next couple of weeks.
Momentum is also building for the Scooting for Hope event. Both Channel 9 and Channel 10 have expressed interest in covering the story and the event itself. I’ll be sending them some more details this week so things can start moving forward. It’s exciting to see this project gaining attention.
Next week may look a little different. With Billie’s birthday is coming up, I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to write a full newsletter. It might be a short one, or I may take the week off entirely.
Enjoying this Newsletter - Subscribe to Room Eleven Today
Weekly Musings
What I’m Watching: John Carter
This week I watched John Carter for the first time. When it came out in 2012, it bombed at the box office and was always labelled one of those films impossible to adapt to film. Because of that, I never felt the need to watch it. But when I finally did, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I stayed engaged the whole time and didn’t once reach for my phone.
The story itself is interesting, even though I don’t know the deeper lore behind the universe from the source material. The idea of a man transported to Mars who becomes almost superhuman because of the difference in gravity is a simple but clever concept. It has the kind of world-building that could carry a bigger series.
The weak point, though, was the casting. Taylor Kitsch, who was Hollywood’s “next big star” at the time, played the lead. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a solid actor, but he just didn’t have that charisma and depth needed to anchor a film like this. Bryan Cranston popped up in a small role, which was fun, but overall the casting felt slightly off across the board for me.
Watching it made me wonder what the film could have been in different hands or if it was remade today. Someone like Denis Villeneuve (Dune, Arrival) could have leaned into the scale and tone of the world in a way that matched the story’s ambition. I also think a long-form TV series, something like what HBO does so well, would suit the material perfectly.
In the end, John Carter isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s definitely underrated. Worth a watch if you’ve skipped it all these years.
This week’s newsletter is a little lighter than usual. As I wrote earlier, it’s the time of year where grief takes up more space for me, and I need to give it that room. Still, it’s been a week of meaningful conversations, like recording with Gavin Blue from Heartfelt and exciting attention being gained with Scooting for Hope.
Thanks, as always, for reading and for being part of Room Eleven.
If you’d like to help us keep moving forward with Scooting for Hope and the work of Room Eleven, the best way is to share this newsletter, spread the word, or reach out if you’d like to get involved.
See you next week.
Rob
PS: Next week may look a little different. With Billie’s birthday next Friday, I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to write a full newsletter. It might be another short one, or I may take the week off entirely.
✅ Share this newsletter with someone who might need it
✅ Listen to and review the latest Room Eleven Podcast
✅ Help us raise $100K for Scooting for Hope by sharing our campaign
