Your grief is validated

     Public notice by Above & Beyond Hospice.

     Grief Awareness Day lifts the taboo that has been placed over mourning our grief.

     Grief: A combination of thoughts and feelings that arise when we experience loss; it is the hearts protest to what loss the mind realizes.

     Mourning: Is how we outwardly express those thoughts and feelings.

     Grief Awareness Day will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. It is a day where we can collectively acknowledge that most of us, if not all, find ourselves at some point in the grief process due to loss. A person’s loss may be due to a death, the breakup of a relationship, the loss of possessions from a disaster, misplacement, or theft, a missed job opportunity, relocation, etc. Above & Beyond reminds you not to lose all hope for present and future happiness. The grief you feel is a normal response to the loss you have experienced. We can reconcile our grief by acknowledging it instead of rushing or avoiding it.

     “Let’s get back to mourning,” said Carol DeJong, bereavement coordinator with Above & Beyond Hospice.

     Mourning can take many forms such as tears, words spoken or written, artistic expression, participating in rituals, music, and endless other ways of expression. Mourning is outwardly expressing your thoughts and feelings associated with grief. Mourning is allowing your grief to be witnessed.

     “I can release the pain that touches my memories, but only if I remember them. I can release my grief, but only if I express it. Memories and grief must have a heart to hold them.” -Alan Wolfelt

     For more information on Grief Awareness Day, visit: www.change.org/p/declare-august-30th-national-grief-awareness-day.

     For more information on Above & Beyond grief support, visit: https://abovebeyondhc.com/hospice-care/bereavement.

     For additional education information, visit: www.centerforloss.com.