After a loved one dies, we experience a constellation of feelings and emotions that can leave us feeling drained, anxious, and alone. In the midst of these dark days, the Grief Support group at FUMCFW led by Charme Robarts, certified Grief Support Specialist, is here to offer you a warm and welcoming place to talk about what you are going through.
“Sharing our thoughts, feelings, worries and raw emotions during these difficult times has proven over and over again to be an important part of the healing process,” explains Charme. “And, while you may initially think you’d prefer to process these feelings on your own, the value of having a group of people who are dealing with similar emotions is often more meaningful that you might imagine. As in all of life, we can learn a lot from each other, and we can find solace in sharing our experience.
One woman in a grief group we held in 2018 decided that writing was helpful to her as she lived through the most intense feelings of early grief. She writes: “Today is Valentine’s Day. Today grief is a too tight turtleneck pressing consistently against my vocal cords, a stinging in the back of my eyes, my throat. An exclamation swallowed throughout the day. Grief is the one drop that breaches the rim of the glass so that every other drop creates a torrent, a flood. Grief is both a hollowing out and filling up. I keep it quiet and to myself as I kept my love because it belongs to me. Grief is hands-on knowledge of what forever really means.”
“In our group sessions, participants will receive respect and attention,” Charme says. “No one will tell you how you should feel or pretend to know exactly how you feel. We will, however, explore practical ideas that can make your grief journey more manageable.”
“The FUMCFW Grief Support group gave me a safe space for my suffering to be visible and understood,” relates Dawynn Edwards. “It lessened the loneliness I was feeling and gave me a community of people to share what I could. It was really the only place I could just be broken without having to try to protect other people’s feelings.”
If you or someone you care about is struggling with grief and loss, we hope you will consider this opportunity to find healing and hope in the quiet and safe space First Church provides to help you find your way. Our next session of Grief Support begins October 14 and runs through November 4 at 11:00 am in Room 310. Participation is free, but registration is required. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Charme Robarts (crobarts@myfumc.org).
