Newly composed, but inspired, directed and motivated by my Mother Woman facilitator training, these will be read at the beginning of every meeting.
We know that losing a baby is an isolating and devastating experience. In our groups we support bereaved parents by naming the incredible challenges they are experiencing, knowing that this group is one of the few places where parents can speak the truth about the depth of their emotions and the details of their experience.
We believe that speaking the truth about the heartbreaking journey of losing a baby is essential. Healing comes through understanding what we have been through and what may lie ahead. By speaking about our experiences they can become integrated into who we are and allow us to move along. We celebrate breaking the silence that bereaved parents have been historically subjected to.
We believe that grief takes many forms. Emotions such as deep sadness, anger, confusion, longing, and even a sense of intermittent peace can all be normal parts of grieving. No one person grieves like another. We believe each person has the right to follow the path of grief they are most comfortable with.
We respect that each person has his or her own comfort level for sharing emotions and stories. We believe that the very act of coming to this group demonstrates each person’s commitment to their own growth and healing, whether they share a little or a lot. We believe that this extends into the greater world, where each bereaved parent should be liberated to share the pieces of their story and their child in a way that feels comfortable to them.
We believe that each one of you has the inner wisdom and courage to come out into a brighter place, without ever forgetting the baby that you lost.
FYI
Somebody asked me recently if it would be allright to bring a photograph of their baby to share at the meeting. YES, YES, YES!! If there is memorabilia-- be it photographs, ultrasounds, footprints, etc. that you would like to share, please bring it with you and we welcome you to share it! Ours is an appreciative audience who understands the value of such keepsakes, so any time you'd like to bring things in, please do. If you are coming to the January meeting, consider it an official show-and-tell-- we'd love to see what you've got. And I know I am not the only one who likes to put a face to a name, when possible.
Empty Arms 2010
It is a new year, one that will no doubt be filled with blessings and challenges for us all. Leaving the old year behind, for those of you who lost your babies in 2009, can sometimes feel difficult, or sometimes liberating. Whatever your feelings, time marches on, and we hope that 2010 will be a year of healing and growth for you all.
Starting at this month's meeting, which will be on January 27 at 7 PM in Conference Room D, I will resume my cherished role as facilitator of the Empty Arms Group. Some of you may know that we were lucky enough to welcome a healthy baby girl into our family on November 13. While one of the lasting effects of having lost Charlotte is that I am extremely attached to my newborns, I have also missed facilitating the group greatly, and I am looking forward to being creative about how to tear myself away from my baby for a few hours to meet with all of you again.
I am particularly excited because all fall, while I have been on leave from the group, I have been participating in a fabulous group facilitator training. I have gathered many ideas for how to shape our group meetings and I am eager to share some of my new thoughts. I hope I will see you there-- and for some you, I will be meeting you for the first time.
If you haven't come for some time, I urge you to return. There are several reasons for this. First of all, from my own personal experience, I know that I always benefit to spending a few hours a month to focus on Charlotte. Her loss will always shape my life, and to devote time to think about her without interruption is always helpful for me. Secondly, having people at different stages of their grief and loss is important! If you have some time between now and your loss, think about how different it felt in the first month-- and what things have changed since then. Do you remember how impossible it felt during that first month to imagine that things would ever change? Having people at the meeting who can speak to those changes is utmost in its importance. It is my hope that in 2010 we can up the attendence of folks whose losses are not in the immediate past, so that we are less a group of people who have just suffered a loss supporting each other and more a larger community of bereaved parents muddling through life together. I want to see the net of open arms that embrace newly bereaved families get bigger. I hope to see that happen.
So come, one and all, on January 27th. I am so looking forward to being there with you. Drop me an e-mail and let me know if I can expect you!
Starting at this month's meeting, which will be on January 27 at 7 PM in Conference Room D, I will resume my cherished role as facilitator of the Empty Arms Group. Some of you may know that we were lucky enough to welcome a healthy baby girl into our family on November 13. While one of the lasting effects of having lost Charlotte is that I am extremely attached to my newborns, I have also missed facilitating the group greatly, and I am looking forward to being creative about how to tear myself away from my baby for a few hours to meet with all of you again.
I am particularly excited because all fall, while I have been on leave from the group, I have been participating in a fabulous group facilitator training. I have gathered many ideas for how to shape our group meetings and I am eager to share some of my new thoughts. I hope I will see you there-- and for some you, I will be meeting you for the first time.
If you haven't come for some time, I urge you to return. There are several reasons for this. First of all, from my own personal experience, I know that I always benefit to spending a few hours a month to focus on Charlotte. Her loss will always shape my life, and to devote time to think about her without interruption is always helpful for me. Secondly, having people at different stages of their grief and loss is important! If you have some time between now and your loss, think about how different it felt in the first month-- and what things have changed since then. Do you remember how impossible it felt during that first month to imagine that things would ever change? Having people at the meeting who can speak to those changes is utmost in its importance. It is my hope that in 2010 we can up the attendence of folks whose losses are not in the immediate past, so that we are less a group of people who have just suffered a loss supporting each other and more a larger community of bereaved parents muddling through life together. I want to see the net of open arms that embrace newly bereaved families get bigger. I hope to see that happen.
So come, one and all, on January 27th. I am so looking forward to being there with you. Drop me an e-mail and let me know if I can expect you!
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