Hi TStorm
I am a volunteer at two hospices here near Toronto. Since covid, I have been doing everything by phone and zoom.
I am currently helping 10 people in a Group & Bereavement format - 10 weeks of weekly sessions.
I also am helping three people 1 on 1 with Grief & Bereavement - 12 weeks of weekly sessions.
These sessions are offered at no cost.
We are restricted to helping people only within our own region. There must be something similar in Ottawa, where you are.
If you have a severe grief reaction or what is called “complicated grief”, it is important to seek the help of professionals in this field.
You said:
“I feel grief most of the time, almost every day. There are times I don't want to go on living without Carole. And then there are times when I think I'm strong enough to handle all this on my own.”
Grief is something that can last a lifetime – although it becomes more manageable with time for most people.
The purpose of our 12 week sessions is to help someone get to the point where people “KNOW that they are strong enough to handle this on their own.”
The Journey of Healing is a solo journey, for everyone. Even though you are alone you never have to feel lonely. There are ALWAYS people out there that will help you. The Canadian Virtual Hospice is just one example of this.
I came across this quote recently:
"By letting a person tell their story over and over again, we allow them to process their overwhelming emotions. Thus they are able to make the unthinkable into the thinkable."
–anon
My reflections:
When the unthinkable happens, when a loved one dies,
we are overcome with the internal turmoil that is GRIEF.
We move on to BEREAVEMENT
where we receive comfort from people who care for us.
At last, we begin our JOURNEY OF HEALING.
Our path to our future has begun.
The beauty of embracing our Journey of Healing,
is that it shows us a way to move forward.
In moving forward we don’t remain stuck in one place.
–- eKim