GrifShare Session #2

GriefShare 2^nd Session…

Last night was the second session of the local 2013 GriefShare program.  It has been close to a year since I started the sessions myself and I really enjoyed this section again.  We talked about the process of grief and how each person is unique.  There is no process that will work for every person.  Some people will go through their grief process in a year or so, others will take longer.  We talked about feeling that we would make progress and then be ‘ambushed’ by our emotions and taking steps backward.  We talked about dealing with family and friends who, in trying to be kind and encouraging, actually impede the progress of our grief.  We talked about ways to help us express our grief to ourselves and others by putting our feelings on paper.

Basically, we have to do it our way and that the timeline and process is entirely up to us.  And that all of the emotions and feelings are normal, we are not going crazy… we are okay. 

Last night most of our people came back from the last meeting.  A couple of them did not, but they had indicated that there might be one or two they would be missing.  Hopefully they will be back.

I am so grateful for the GriefShare program.  I realize that I am in such a much better place today than I would have been before.  I have not gotten through my grief completely, yet.  I may never get through it completely.  I miss my husband every day.  And when things break or the grass has to be mowed or when my feet get cold in bed at night, I miss him the most.  But I have begun to do things to satisfy my needs and wants.  They are not what I would have done were he still alive, so my new life is taking shape.  I am feeling happier and more at peace in recent days.  This is telling me that the joy of living is returning and I firmly believe that without GriefShare I would not be where I am today.

I hope that anyone who might read this will tell others about this program to help them learn to deal with the loss of a loved one.  And it can be done years after the loss with a benefit to the participant.  The advice is timeless…. and helpful.