The Compassionate Friends/Tallahassee Chapter

A good list of New Years Resolutions for the Bereaved!!

On this day of mixed emotions, depending on where you are on your personal grief journey, please know that those of us who are in the same place you are, desperately missing our beloved child(ren), sister(s) or brother(s), and/or grandchildren absent from the family festivities on this Christmas Day, please remember that your friends and family from The Compassionate Friends (TCF) Staff, Board of Directors, Foundation Board, TCF chapters, Facebook and Online support community, and all others who understand and care are thinking about you too and hugging you in their hearts. YOU are not alone....

The Tallahassee Chapter of The Compassionate Friends will be holding their annual candlelight service this Sunday! If you have or know anyone who has lost a child, grandchild or sibling this service is for you/them including their family members. It’s a beautiful service to honor our loved ones. If you’re interested in attending contact me via email at [email protected] and I will give you all the pertinent information!

This NPR podcast talks the science of what happens in our brains when we grieve, the importance of support to process your grief and, post-traumatic growth.

dcs.megaphone.fm

Welcome to the beginning of a new week! Here is your weekly reminder that you can do hard things. Don’t forget how far you’ve come and remember to always stay Open to Hope.

This free event, offered by Big Bend Hospice, is open to bereaved family members who wish to remember someone special.

Hope for the Holidays (Adults Session)
Tuesday, December 5 at 6:00 p.m.
Big Bend Hospice Bartelt Conference Room

This is a time for adults to make a holiday ornament in memory of their loved ones and share tips for
coping with the holidays while grieving.

Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, or to RSVP please contact Pam Mezzina at [email protected] or call (850) 878-5310

We are very pleased to bring you the Autumn 2023 online issue of "We Need Not Walk Alone," courtesy of The Compassionate Friends!
https://www.compassionatefriends.org/autumn-2023/

In our experiences of grief, guilt can play an outsized role. David Kessler speaks to two members of his online grief group, Tender Hearts, who are both deeply immersed in guilt. “If only my boyfriend and I weren’t on a break, I could’ve saved him…” “If only I hadn’t let my son go outside, the tragedy never would’ve happened…” These are hard conversations. But in unpacking our guilt and self-blame, we can begin to experience pure grief — and that’s when we open ourselves up to healing.

Releasing the Guilt of Grief — Grief.com In this podcast episode of Healing with David Kessler, David speaks to two members of his online grief group, Tender Hearts, who are both deeply immersed in guilt. In the process of unpacking our guilt and self-blame, we can begin to experience pure grief — and that’s when we open ourselves up t...

Save the Date - Walk to Remember on Thursday, October 19, 2023, 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Held to observe National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. The “Walk to Remember” will be held on October 19, 2023, from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church 1700 N. Meridian Rd.

“Walk to Remember gives parents the opportunity to honor the babies they have lost,” says Kristy Goldwire, former Executive Director of Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition. “At this event, families come together to share their stories and help one another cope with the pain of losing a baby.”

All families and their friends in the community are welcome to participate. The event is FREE for all participants. Registration is not required but highly encouraged because we are providing food and childcare while the event is ongoing.

You can find additional information on the Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition website. https://capitalareahealthystart.org/walk-to-remember/?fbclid=IwAR3THJ2PrbzO-NP4XAB2iaJFVxoTYLDC47Qixu24Xb1JtMEsFQ6RSdOpgTM

Join us tonight for our monthly Grief Support Meeting.

We meet on the second Monday of every month - except December. Connect with others who understand much of what you’re feeling - not everything, but a lot more than most people, simply because we’ve been there. Know that there will be sadness and tears as we talk about our loss, but there will also be joy, laughter, and hope as we remember special times with our children, grandchildren, and siblings. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, but you will be able to if you choose to.

Each of us is unique in our own ways, with our families, backgrounds, circumstances, religions, and cultures. Still, one thing we have in common is the desire to honor the memories of the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren who left us too soon. When you come to a meeting we ask that you attend at least three meetings before deciding if the group is for you.

If you would like to join our meeting remotely, please email [email protected] to request the login and password for ZOOM.

MEETING LOCATION
Join us in the Luke Room at St Stephen Lutheran Church at 2198 N Meridian Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32303. The church is on the southern corner of N Meridian Road and Pinewood Drive. The parking lot is accessible from Pinewood Drive. The Luke Room is on the south side of the church.

Our mailing address is:
2198 N Meridian Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32303
https://www.tcftally.org

Contact Us
(850) 296-8413
[email protected]

https://www.compassionatefriends.org/spring-2023/
Here is the Spring/Summer Issue of We Need Not Walk Alone Magazine.

Spring 2023 - Compassionate Friends We Need Not Walk Alone | Spring 2023 For ideal viewing: Click on the three dots to view in full-screen. The magnifying glass on the top will allow you to zoom in on the pages. Click on the corners of...

As Father’s Day approaches, so many are struggling with the pain of loss. I would like to invite you to join me for a free online discussion on Father’s Day Grief. I know how hard this day can be having had a father die and a son died. To help navigate this challenging holiday, together we can share our grief and tools that help.

We’ll gather on Zoom on Sunday, June 18, 2023, at 9 am PT/ 12 ET.

June can be challenging with Father’s Day and graduation when you’re in grief. We’ll get together to talk about strategies for special days to remember with more love than pain.

Click the link to register and receive a replay if you can't make it:
https://bit.ly/3qJrEY5

“The intense roller coaster of emotions will gradually lesson over time. But there is no timeframe for the grieving process, and it will not be rushed, no matter how fast you'd like to "get over it." The reality is that there is no getting over it.”
― Elizabeth Berrien

https://www.compassionatefriends.org/blog/some-days-are-just-hard/?fbclid=IwAR2wX3OcN7BkLSzCcZKFo1GePkbvOpKjsKdxPwfoVEdA4o0KMyYH6a0MlmA

Some Days are Just Hard - Compassionate Friends Losing a child is indescribably painful. As any bereaved parent will tell you, the death of a child leaves a huge line running through our lives with “before and after” etched forever in our memories. Days that were previously filled...

How does one survive after the Death of a Child? How will you survive this unbelievable painful loss? It feels unfair and it shouldn't have happened. The pain you're feeling and the yearning for your child feels like more than you can possibly survive. No one truly knows exactly what you are going through, but other parents who have experience the loss of a child can help you find hope that your life will go on. Join us at our next meeting on Monday, May 8.

https://module.griefconnections.com/e-aftercare/death-of-a-child?FuneralHomeName=Reflecting+on+Memories&domain=www.reflectingonmemories.com&a=UA-23536153-41&captcha=false

This is a great interview with David Kessler, a bereaved parent and grief expert. David teaches counselors, social workers, therapists, hospice workers and bereaved parents all over the world about grief.

Here he shares his story, expertise and wisdom in his always down to earth, helpful and healing way.

Finding Meaning in Our Grief with David Kessler In this podcast, Sounds True founder Tami Simon speaks with David Kessler about his new book, including how our relationships transcend death and how we can ...

Grief Comes In Waves: Top 12 Lessons From Grief No One Talks About (+ultimate grief recovery plan) Grief Comes In Waves: Discover the top 12 lessons no one talks about ... Losing someone we love can leave us feeling alone, empty, and hopeless.

Grief is one of those worlds where strangers can become instant friends.

I have been so fortunate to have Lisa Marie as a friend. Her bold, authentic personality made her a loyal daughter and devoted mother. The loss of her son inspired her to work toward becoming an advocate for those who are struggling with the heartbreak of grief.

I met Lisa Marie after her son Ben died. She wanted to talk to me, not because I was a grief expert, but because I was someone who also had a child die. It became an improbable friendship but that is how grief works. Grief is one of those worlds where strangers can become instant friends.

I first visited Graceland with her when she was laying her son to rest across from her father Elvis. Our friendship continued to grow from there. Last weekend, she asked me to go with her to Memphis for her father’s 88th birthday celebration. She had countless invites for the weekend, but for her, there were only three important ones: being at her father’s birthday celebration, spending time at her son and father’s grave after the tours left Graceland, and meeting with a recently bereaved mother. They had known each other in their childhood and now were reunited in grief.

I watched how Lisa Marie tenderly talked to this heartbroken mother about what to expect in grief. That's what interested her most these days, helping others in grief.

She had her challenges but always faced them. She was in my grief educator program and many who met her and chatted with her on Zoom had no idea who she was. To them, she was a mother, whose son had died and wanted to turn her pain into purpose. She also co-led grief groups with me for the past two years on Sundays at her home for other bereaved parents. We were planning on doing a podcast about grief together. Her family, love for music, maintaining her father's legacy, and helping others became her priorities. Those were the things that mattered to her these days.

last weekend was so much fun and she was optimistic. Graceland was her happy place and the employees who all knew her shared that she was looking so much better. She looked more at peace and was so proud of the Elvis movie.

Saturday night we sat at the graves of her father and son. We talked about the heartbreak she grew up with and the more recent devastation of her son’s death. She showed me where she would be buried someday. I said a long time from now …and she said yes, I have so much I still want to do.

Rest in peace with your father and son, Lisa Marie.

I'm sharing a picture taken of us last weekend at .

“It was the night before Christmas and Santa was busy making his rounds.
He was light on his feet making sure he didn't make a sound.

But he took notice that some homes didn't have that Christmas Glee.
So he decided to stop because he thought that just can't be.

He crept in a mommy's bedroom and stopped in his steps, as he saw a little angel hugging his mom as she slept.

The little angel looked up and cried, "Oh, Santa you are finally here!!
I've been waiting for you to help me let Mommy know I am near.”

Santa picked up the wee angel and asked him, "What can I do? I'm just a simple toy maker I can't make your mommy's dreams come true.”

So the two of them sat and they sat for a while until the tiny angel jumped up and screamed with a smile.
"Let’s leave her a sign a beautiful sign from above,
Let her know it's from me, sent from heaven with love!!!”

So Santa dug and he dug deep, in that big glorious bag that was filled with lots of treats.

He pulled out a beautiful white feather that look like it was made out of snow.
And he thought such a beautiful sign that only a grieving mother would know.

He placed it on her nightstand and kissed the angel on his head.
Then placed him next to his mom as she slumbered in bed.

I think I'll stay here with Mommy and visit her in her dreams tonight,
She misses me dearly and needs to know I'm all right.

Santa made his way to his sled, And wiped a tear from his eye.
He fell to his knees and managed to cry.

Merry Christmas to all the grieving mothers across this big land.
And let it be known your angels are with you holding your hands...”

: : : Written by Joe’s Mommy : : :

The holidays can be a challenging time when you're in grief. So often, our friends and relatives just don't understand and they want us to just get over it.

Join this free webinar on Dec 17. David Kessler will lead a talk with helpful tips for coping with grief and then there will be time for sharing and Q&A.

Holiday Grief Support with David Kessler Join us this holiday season for FREE grief support to learn strategies to navigate the holidays, learn meaningful coping tools, and be with others who are grieving and truly "get it".

https://web.cvent.com/event/a8994249-77f0-4e92-9efc-3415af66c514/summary?bbejrid=-1837768236&bbemailid=42375670&bblinkid=263271609&fbclid=IwAR1VKeRVBHdrfQHoLmEmWXEXRNq6NB-6pNTXrZWN1Vd2SsM9A0GIrJlsdgE

Please join TCF National on November 19, 2022, for The Compassionate Friend’s Fall Virtual Grief Gathering. Click the link above for additional information.

This special gathering will include live, interactive workshops across a variety of grief topics plus recordings of our Main/Keynote Presentations from TCF's 45th National Conference that was held this past summer. This online gathering will offer a range of workshops on grief, loss, coping, and healing and will focus on support for bereaved parents, siblings, and grandparents, whether you are newly bereaved or a more seasoned griever. We invite you to join us for an informative, caring, and supportive day from the comfort of your own home.

July is recognized as Bereaved Parents Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness of the support necessary when one endures the loss of a child.