This week’s Touchpoint centers primarily around dispelling some myths and sharing some truths about grief. When you enter a state of grief, in whatever circumstance that may be, you will face new challenges. One challenge is to “wade through” what people will say to you, usually out of a caring heart, but which may or may not be helpful for … Read More
What Has Your Grief Taught You?
“What’s Your Grief?” is a fantastic website I follow for their writings on topics related to grief. Last week, they posed a question which brought about some fantastic conversation over social media. The question was, “What has your grief taught you?” The answers were compiled into a list of 64, which found its way to my inbox and inspired today’s … Read More
Weekly Touchpoint: Telling Your Story
Today we begin the first week in my 8-week series, giving you a virtual glimpse into the curriculum of the Seasonal Bereavement Support Group offered at HHSCW. During the journey of grief, whether it is from the death of a loved one, or through a traumatic experience that has changed your life and identity, you will probably tell your story … Read More
3 Reasons to Join A Bereavement Support Group
Fall is fast approaching, and so is our bereavement support group season. September 6 marked the first day of our Fall Bereavement Support Group here at Hospice House & Support Care of Williamsburg. We recognize that focused bereavement support groups like ours are not for everyone. Just as everyone loves differently, everyone grieves differently. Sometimes people who have lost a loved … Read More
A Celebration of Life 2016
What’s the benefit of a ritual? What’s the purpose of having a memorial service? A funeral? A celebration of life? When we talk about ritual in reference to grief the answer is three-fold: Rituals help restore feelings of control. When we experience any kind of loss (a death, divorce, etc.) we become aware that the world (and life in general) … Read More
5 Things to Expect in the First Year(s) of Grief
1. Expect the unexpected. Sometimes when we lose a loved one, we set expectations for ourselves around our grieving process. We think that we will feel a certain way for a certain number of weeks or months and then be done grieving. The truth is grief doesn’t abide by our expectations or the expectations of those around us. You are … Read More