Miracles occur in the strangest of places
Fancy meeting you here...
Sit down beside me & tell me your story...
Isn't this a great candid shot? haha ~ We do like to eat at a Donelewega!
The power of support, once began as strangers; folks not knowing each other, neighbors in the same community, the same county, possibly shopping in the same stores.
Brought together by the universal thread of loss and grief, apprehensive at first; eyes that were knowing but not looking; hands that gripped krumpled kleeenex; tears that sat near the surface and voices that quivered when words came from their trembling lips as they introduced themselves through their pain.
But months later strong bonds had formed, friendships forged, a sacred community built... eyes held contact with one another with intensity; laughter could be heard rooms away as stories were shared and phone numbers exchanged, and plans made to meet for dinner next week. A gathering was planned; a Cherokee "Donewlega" a greater circle of healing; an evening of sharing the stories; of "breaking bread together" of remembering and of ritual and for some a time of saying "until we meet again". The sage and sweetgrass was burning, the smudging of energies prepared for all; the music filled the room, the food arrived as did the survivors... the talk for the evening focused on the journey that had been made through grief... the shared miles through tears of heartache into the light of healing.
They were "the star group"... survivors of sudden and traumatic losses... adults who had survived the unthinkable and had come together at the absolute worse time of their lives! Together they had cried; they had witnessed each others painful stories; they had held each others pain, been there for each others moments of despair, they had listened to suggestions, tips, and stories of hope in healing... they had listened without judgment and without asking for anything in return. In turn they were listened to just as lovingly, and sometimes they were confronted with truth and with statements of brutal but caring honesty that it was time to come out of their cocoon of pain and sometimes self-absorption and re-enter life again differently than ever before. And they listened!
They are SURVIVORS! And as you can tell from the picture; they have survived well while incorporating their pain of loss into the very fabric of their lives!
Yes, we all will have those times of a "bad day", "of missing" and/or sadness... those are a part of the human condition, but it is what we choose to do with those moments that make the difference.
As seen in this photo, the members of "the star group" chose well; they chose to be together; to gather together with the intention and want and desire of "hope", of "healing ways", iof "choosing" to "feel positive", of "choosing to heal", "choosing to remember", of "holding that which was dear", while "letting the rest go", of "letting go of those things which no longer serves them", while "releasing that which pained them", and of "re-joining the dance of life". They are SURVIVORS...
Are YOU A SURVIVOR?
If you are needing help or assistance or support, I hope you make the choice to look or to continue to search for what you need. I am a strong advocate of support groups, individual therapy... I would suggest that you check with your local hospices in your area; your physician, your faith communities, mental health communities, and/or other community offerings to explore all the options/groups that may be available for you. The power of support can be tremendous!
For the star group and for all those that are re-investing in life and loving those that matter to them, I give thanks today...
And So It Is!!! Wado! (Thank you)
Walk In Beauty
author of Healing Heartaches Stories of Loss and Life
I am available for keynotes/seminars. Please visit the website for more information. I am also seeing clients in Palm Harbor now and information is also available on the website regarding individual therapy sessions.
2 comments:
As a member of the " STAR " group, I am living
proof of being a survivor. I am the person I
am today, because of that group, the stories
shared, the tears shed, but MOST of all,
because of DR. SHERRY SHOWALTER's guidance,
pacing around the room, a gentle hand on your
back, and the krumpled kleeeeeenexes around.
D Y S I R M
Also agree support is critical, whether in a group or any other source that works. Hope that I provide needed support for someone when they need it. Missing the opportunity to care is a shame. Sustaining the support through someones long and arduous journey is the true test of friendship.
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