A year after having to do a virtual program, being able to share the experience with others going through the same thing was welcome, according to Sue Good, a bereavement counselor.
“This is grief education, and a message of hope. It’s twofold: it hurts but it’s comforting to be around people who understand,” she said.
Working from a Hospice program called “Pathways for Hope,” Good told the group to celebrate the love and lives of those who have been lost and wanted them to leave having a measure of comfort and a little more peace.
Advice, which can apply to anyone facing the same circumstances, includes being patient and realistic with yourself, and it’s okay to lower your expectations of the holidays this year. If you go to a social event, have a plan to leave if you need and express that to family and friends, and it’s okay to say you’re grieving and to avoid overindulgence, which you’ll regret later.
But it’s also fine to have some joy, comfort, to laugh and have courage. One outlet is to buy a gift your loved one would’ve liked and give it to someone in need.
“Be gentle with yourself this holiday season. You will make it through,” Fran Jerisk said, speaking on behalf of the hospice chaplain.
The event included a candle lighting ceremony. Each candle had a different significance including one for love, one for the holidays, one for grief in and the last being hope for the future. Attendees could select bells in which they would ring in unison to celebrate those they’d loved and lost.
The event concluded with songs from the Yellow Springs Threshold Singers, a group that sings for hospice patients or those in dire circumstances, followed by a time of refreshments and fellowship.
Debra Young of Springfield lost her husband and was grateful for the event, especially advice on handling family functions and ringing the bell and knowing she wasn’t going through it alone.
She attended with Mary Pass, whose spouse also passed, and her daughter Lenora Pass.
“Today is very soothing. You try not to think about it, but this has helped,” Lenora Pass said.
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