For 2024:
January 9th
February 13th
March 12th
April 9th
May 14th
June 11th
July 9th
August 13th
September 10th
October 8th
November 12th
December 10th
Members acknowledge that each person's grief is unique.
There is no pressure to talk, but members are encouraged to do so if they so choose.
Members engage in active listening while others are talking.
Thoughts shared are kept within the group and not shared with the public.
The facilitator makes sure that no one person monopolizes the time together.
There are no right or wrong feelings or ways of handling grief. Therefore, what works for some will not work for others.
Struggle with "why" it happened until you no longer need to know or until you can be satisfied with partial answers.
Know you may feel overwhelmed by the intensity of your feelings but that all your feelings are normal.
Anger, guilt, confusion, forgetfulness are common responses. You are not crazy; you are in mourning.
It's okay to express anger toward the lost loved one, God, others, etc.
Having suicidal thoughts yourself is common. It does not mean you will act on these thoughts.
Tears are healing.
Give yourself permission to seek professional help.
Set your own limits and learn when to say no.
Steer clear of people who want to tell you what or how to feel.
Call on your personal faith or spiritual beliefs or practices to help you through.
Letting go does not mean forgetting.
You may never be the same again but you can survive and at some point, go beyond just surviving.
May your loss become a sanctuary where new presence will dwell to refine and enrich the rest of your life with courage and compassion. And may your lost loved one enter into the beauty of eternal tranquility, in that place where there is no more sorrow or separation or mourning or tears.
As we remember our loved ones, let's accept the joy of the memories we shared and create space for our grief. It is my hope that this support group can help us recognize the depths of our love as it relates to the pain we feel at losing them.
Reach out to me to get on the contact list for meeting notices, links to the Zoom option if you prefer to meet with us on that format, or to receive the occasional informational email from me. Remember, however, with or without a meeting notice, you can depend on there being a meeting held at 6:00 p.m. each second Tuesday of the month.
Once you arrive at 3515 Bristol Highway, you will find ample parking. Enter the building and walk up the stairs to the second floor. The meeting room will be marked "Support Group" and will be to the right. There is an elevator to the second floor if you walk through the foyer and straight back.
Warmest regards,
Barb Sims
