It is an honour to co-facilitate LCHS Bereavement Groups (7 week programs) with participants in need to be authentic, to be heard, as well as to share and empathize in others' grieving process. For more information regarding 7 week Bereavement Programs- contact Lanark County Home Support (www.chslc.ca).
As a circle facilitator, holding space in bereavement programs with Lanark County Home Support to accompany individuals experiencing the grieving process is an honour. Practicing empathy with others feeling comforted through the sharing of stories assists me in gaining insight to my personal bereavement healing process. Growth and healing happens when reflecting with others who actively listen to others' stories while suspending judgement. Navigation through the emotional roller coaster of grief is a difficult journey, and becoming lost in the confusion of emotional triggers is a natural part of this human process .
Holding intentional space to grieve for the loss of a loved one is different for every individual. Grief is non-linear- it is a journey for all to endure without expectation of the length of time it takes to adjust, embrace and accept the loss. A constant in the grieving process is to expect the unexpected... from feeling numbness to the unexpected shedding of tears to unrelenting anger, regret, fear and/or feeling buried and stuck in what is seemingly an endless cycle of emotional reactivity. Finding the support group to feel safe to express in confidence is a gift for all who participate in the bereavement circle and the circle is where the healing begins. The importance of sharing stories in a circle - with an invitation to cry- lessens the burden of anyone going through it alone.
"There is sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but power. they speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief. of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love."
- Washington Irving