Bereavement Newsletter

Transcription

1 AUTUMN: Sept Oct Nov Bereavement Newsletter Circle of Life Hospice Autumn Newsletter Contents: The Holidays What does the Circle of Life Bereavement Program offer? Tears have a wisdom all their own. They come when a person has relaxed enough to let go and to work through his sorrow. They are the natural bleeding of an emotional wound, carrying the poison out of What are the differences between bereavement, grief and mourning? Expressing your grief Nurturing fall recipes the system. Here lies the road to recovery. - F. Alexander Magoun Autumn ushers in the beginning of the holiday season. This time of year can be especially difficult after the loss of a loved one. Listed below are a few tips you may find helpful. 10 suggestions for the holidays: 1. Acknowledge the holidays will be different and may be tough. Prioritize and don t overcommit.

2 2. If the holidays have previously been filled with parties, dinners, and events, save your energy for those that are most important. 3. Look at everything you have to do and rank them in order of importance. Plan for the most important and skip the rest. 4. Light a candle in your home in memory of the person you ve lost. 5. Make some quiet time for yourself. The holidays can be hectic, set aside time to journal, meditate, listen to music, etc. 6. Put out a memory stocking, memory box, or other special place where you and others can write down memories you treasure. Choose a time to read them either alone or with family or friends. 7. Decide which traditions you want to keep or change. Consider creating a new tradition. 8. Go to a grief support group. When everyone around seems filled with holiday cheer, sometimes it is helpful to talk with others who are struggling. 9. Ignore people who want to tell you what you should do for the holiday. Listen to yourself, trust yourself, communicate with your family, and do what works for you. 10. Skip it. Really. If you just can t face the holiday it is okay to take a break this year. Before you get to this extreme, consider if you could just simplify your holiday. If you do skip, still make a plan. Decide if you will still see friends or family, go see a new movie, or make another plan. 11. Remember, it is okay to be happy this doesn t diminish how much you love and miss the person who isn t there this holiday. Don t feel guilty for the joy you do find this holiday season.

3 What Does the Circle of Life Bereavement Program Offer? Educational Materials: Information and links to resources to support you on your journey. Support Groups: Small groups are held at the Circle of Life office at 5:30 pm on the 1 st and 3 rd Tuesday of each month. This is a time to honor our feelings as we share with others who have experienced loss in a safe and respectful environment. This service is open to anyone in the community who has experienced the loss of a loved one. There is no charge for this community service. Phone Support: The Bereavement counselor will offer continued support by calling every month, every few months, or more often depending on your needs and wishes. Grief Workshops: Monthly workshops are offered on the 3 rd Saturday of each month. A different theme and project will be explored to assist you on your path of healing. See schedule for details. One-on-One Appointments: Talk with a Spiritual Care Counselor or Bereavement Counselor to re-establish meaning and find peace during this very tender time. Holiday Support: Blue Holiday Event, Candle Lighting Service and Grief Recovery Classes Quarterly Newsletters: Receive our quarterly bereavement newsletter in the mail or online

4 What are the Differences Between Bereavement, Grief and Mourning? Bereavement Bereavement is what a person goes through when someone close to them dies. It s the state of having suffered a loss. The person who has lost someone is said to be bereaved. Grief Grief is the complex emotional response to bereavement. The many different emotions, actions, and expressions, all of which help the person come to terms with the loss of a loved one. Mourning Mourning involves culturally patterned expectations about the expression of grief. This includes rituals such as funerals, memorials and expectations of behaviors. Grief is itself a medicine. - William Cowper Grieving, mourning, crying are natural emotions. They come easily and readily if they re not subverted by cultural prohibitions, expectations, and distortions. Grieving is an important part of living because experiencing loss is inevitable for everyone. The older you become, the more losses you sustain. Therefore, you need to work out a way of handling grief. The best way is to let yourself grieve freely and mourn losses. You may want to cry about them. Without this kind of release you re apt to be left with an inner pain that can affect your life in many ways. -Morrie Schwartz Expressing Your Grief is an important part of healing from loss. Doing this might seem too overwhelming at first. Try small ways of expressing your grief when you feel ready. Talking about your grief is a healthy way to express it. Share your feelings with a trusted friend, a counselor, or a grief group. Even if you can t make sense of CIRCLE OF LIFE MONTHLY HEALING WORKSHOPS The healing modalities that will be shared are intended to be tools for the healing journey. They are interactive experiential activities and do not require any pre-knowledge of the subject matter. Just as your healing path is personal, so will your experience be a personal expression of your healing process. The workshops are held the 3 rd Saturday of each month from 12:00pm-2:00pm. For further information please visit the Circle of Life Community Hospice website under the bereavement section or phone (775) it all right now, sorting through the details of the loss can be healing. If you are not comfortable talking, you may want to express yourself creatively. Writing, drawing, music, or other forms of art

5 can help. Keep your work private or share it with others. You don t have to be a great writer or artist. The goal is to let your feelings out in positive ways. What you can do: I. Creative expressions: II. III. IV. Keep a journal Write poetry or a story Cook or bake Sing or play an instrument Paint or draw Build or create something Attend support groups or talk with a counselor Connect with your spiritual community Peruse online grief blogs V. Look for resources such as books and websites Cooking is an artistic expression! Rev. Dr. Karen Turek, D.D. It is natural for many folks that are experiencing bereavement and navigating through the grieving process to lose their zest for creating and eating nutritious meals. However, eating well helps to re-establish balance and provides a good foundation for your healing path. As difficult as it can be to get started, cooking for yourself can be a fun and a creative ritual that once you establish can begin to bring joy and meaning back into your life after loss. Trying new herbs, spices and ingredients can really stimulate your imagination. I wholeheartedly encourage you to go wild and step out of the box! Pre-made or fast foods serve their purpose. But remember most of them are made by machines or on an assembly line-there is no personal touch or love cooked in. Cooking something new will not only feed your physical body with delicious and nurturing sustenance but your soul with a sense of creating something new. Finding new recipes in magazines or online or re-vamping some of your tried and true recipes is a fun and healthy way to help you through a sad or blue day. Cooking for one can be a challenge so I have found one pot meals to be a win-win option for cooking. They can be enjoyed today and portioned off to freeze or refrigerate for savoring another day, or two. Bon Appetite! p.s. we will be sharing recipes and making Tear Soup for our October Workshop on 10/17/15.

6 Cozy Beef Stew What you ll need: 1tablespoon vegetable oil 1 ½ pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch pieces ½ onion (put the other half in a plastic bag and freeze it) ½ glove garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 12 ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables 2 medium potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1 inch pieces (no need to peel) 1 eight ounce can of chopped Italian style tomatoes 1 cup water (can use condensed beef broth if desired) salt to taste (Try adding a few fresh basil or oregano leaves to brighten it up!) What to do: In a soup pot, brown meat in oil. Add onion, garlic and pepper, sauté until translucent. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/low and cook for 1 ½ hours until meat is tender and a light gravy has formed. Stir occasionally. Serve with hearty bread. Breads freeze well so don t be put off by buying a loaf. Thaw by wrapping in a moist paper towel and microwaving for seconds. Hearty White Chili What you ll need: 1tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pound ground turkey 1 small onion or shallot ½ glove garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon black or white pepper ½ teaspoon chili powder 1 eight ounce can of chopped Mexican style tomatoes 1 small can of tomato paste 16 ounce can of white navy beans 1 cup of water salt to taste (A sprig of fresh rosemary is a delicious addition) What to do: In a soup pot, brown meat in oil. Add onion, garlic, chili powder and pepper, sauté until translucent. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/low and cook for 1 ½ hours until all ingredients are melded into a lovely stick consistency. Stir occasionally. Enjoy with fresh cucumber spears.

7 Community Events Circle of Life Community Hospice is here to support you through your loss. We understand the feelings and emotions that may arise during your grief and bereavement process. We hope that you will allow us to serve you by utilizing services available through the Circle of Life. These groups, workshops and sessions take place at Circle of Life located at 1575 Delucchi Lane, Suite 214 in Reno. For further information contact us at (775) I. BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP : Held the first and third Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7:00 pm at the Circle of Life Community Hospice office. This is an ongoing, open, and sacred, forum for sharing and supporting ourselves and others as we find a path of healing after the loss of a loved one. II. BEREAVEMENT WORKSHOPS - Held each month on the third Saturday of the month at 12:00pm. The workshops are designed to create an opportunity to process grief through hands-on projects. There will be creative activities to support your healing process. III. ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS - Available for individuals or families and can include emotional support, education, and topics like those offered in the Bereavement Workshops. Call for additional information or to set up an appointment. Bereavement Workshops- 3 rd Saturday of each month, 12:00-2:00 pm (with the exception of December-the Workshop will be held on the 2 nd Saturday) Schedule of 2015 Workshops September 19: Prayer Flags Written on the Wind October 17: Tear Soup Create a Recipe for Healing November 21: Mandalas The Pattern for Change December 12: Candle Making Honoring the Inner Light All workshops are free and snacks will be provided. Please reserve your spot by calling the Circle of Life at (775) by the Wednesday prior to the event. Circle of Life Community Hospice Bereavement Program (775)