NAVIGATING PANDEMIC GRIEF ONLINE WORKSHOP PATTY LUCKENBACH

THE SIX STEPS OF MOURNING

“Grief is everything we think and feel inside of us whenever our attachments are threatened, harmed, or severed.”  – Dr. Alan Wolfelt “It is possible I am pushing through solid rock.” – Rainer Maria Rilke “Grief is not a life sentence. However, when we receive a grief burst, it can feel like an emotional tornado that comes after a loss.” – Norah Casey, The Cure for Grief, Ted Talk

UNDERSTANDING YOUR GRIEF IN EACH STEP

Accept the reality of the loss. It’s as if the realness of what has happened waits around the corner. I don’t want to make the turn, yet I know I must. Slowly, I gather the courage to approach.  Accept the pain of the loss. I may try to protect myself from my sadness by not talking about my loss, I may even secretly hope that the person who died will come back if I don’t talk about it. Yet as difficult as it is, I must feel it to heal it. Adjust to an environment in which the relationship or deceased is missing. Remember the person who died. The essence of finding meaning in the future is not to forget my past, as I have been told, but instead to embrace my past. For it is in listening to the music of the past that I can sing in the present and dance into the future. Withdraw emotional energy and reinvest and develop a new identity. As I explore them, I don’t reinforce my tensions but instead release them. In this way, I transcend my grief and discover new life beyond anything my heart could ever have comprehended. Oh, the gentleness of new life. Relate the experience of loss to a context of meaning. I must encounter my questions, my doubts, my fears. There is a richness in these domains.  Let others help you, now and always. I heal, in part, by allowing others to express their love for me. By choosing to invite others into my journey, I move toward health and healing. If I hide from others, I hide from healing.

PROCESSING GRIEF

Exercise for the Week: Refer to the Grief Cycle of Transformation PowerPoint slide (included in the class slides below). Ask yourself where are you on the grief cycle? Journal about your responses. Embrace your feelings. Set a timer for five minutes. The springboard thought to ponder is, who was I, and who am I now? Trust yourself, put pen to the page, and write down what comes up for you. Let this be your most imperfect work! Keep writing until the timer goes off.

Ritual for the Week: If you are able to, go outside in the morning sun. Touch your heart and feel the sun warming your heart. In the evening, light a candle and give your concerns, fears, and sadness to the light. When you are complete, blow it out imagining you now breathe the light within you.

PRAYER SUPPORT AND MORE

Prayer & Care Support: The Prayer and Care Ministry has several ways that we support our congregation from one-on-one sessions to our virtual prayer room. We also have a dedicated bereavement team to help support you on your journey. Grief Support Group: For those who have or are experiencing trauma and loss. First and third Wednesday of each month. 5:30 – 6:45 p.m., by Zoom zoom.us/j/161041585​ Resources: Please click on this link for additional support resources. The team's contact information is included , so we suggest saving this PDF. Keep it somewhere that's accessible should you need it in the future. Class Slides: Here are the graphics slides for this week's class.

Weekly Love Offering: We are grateful that you have chosen to be a part of our workshop. Thank you for considering making a love offering to Mile Hi Church in an amount you are comfortable with.   Donate here. Reply to this email or contact our registrar, Lisa Berquist, at   lberquist@milehichurch.org   if you have any questions about the workshop.

Mile Hi Church | milehichurch.org

‌ ‌ ‌