During the holiday’s grief can be amplified as we watch families gather and celebrate, as we set the table with one less plate (or more) and work to keep it together to prevent undue discomfort for those we hold dear. This is the problem, though. Undue discomfort stems from the notion that this is my grief or your grief. What if we changed the mindset to our grief. What if we all leaned into the discomfort enough that we created a shared experience? What if the grief, the shared experience, the transformation of the pain, brought us closer and helped to fill the empty seat at the table?
- I miss Marley too.
- I remember when Marley…
- This is so hard without Marley.
- Just listening and being willing to sit with grief.
Cringeworthy words sound like:
- Look at all you have to be grateful for.
- It will get easier.
- Everything happens for a reason.
- I don’t know how you “do it”. I couldn’t “do it”.
- No acknowledgment of who is missing.
As you consider where to allocate your #GivingTuesday donation please visit Clear Mourning’s Marketplace, where purchases made are actual donations too. Marketplace offers thoughtful gifts for those in grief or for your own self-expression and supports our mission. Our broken heart pendant is a way to support someone in grief and validate their experience. We also have a donor page where you can customize a donation.
- Access to grief-based therapy at no cost;
- Community grief support with trauma centered yoga classes; and
- Financial assistance for co-pays related to grief care services.
- Subscribe to the Clear Mourning newsletter and forward this edition to your friends and family.
- Like, follow and share our Facebook and Instagram.
- Join our new Facebook Group.
- Order something from our Marketplace for yourself or as a thoughtful gift.
- Make a tax-deductible donation to our mission or consider a monthly contribution.
- Do your online shopping through AmazonSmile and Amazon will donate to Clear Mourning.
Sarah Peterson, LCSW
President and Founder
Clear Mourning
