Hello

Hello...wow where does time go? I am so sorry for taking an absence from the blog. Things have been busy....and new things are on the horizon for Grief Sanctuary. Some exciting things are happening for Grief Sanctuary...and I will report on it soon.

Today I would like to focus on thanking all of the amazing people in Frankfort, Kentucky that invited me to be a part of their Compassionate Friends Regional Conference on March 19 and 20 of this year. As a Grief specialist, I must say this is one of the BEST grief conferences I have ever attended. The committee puts so much time and effort to pull off a healing weekend.

The Compassionate Friends is a national non-profit organization for bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents. It is ran by volunteers.

This past weekend I was honored to be invited inside their sacred circle to offer a Creative Arts workshop. I taught the workshop members the healing qualities of Expressive Arts and how to use it as a form of expression and healing for their grief journey. I am honored to report my workshop got some wonderful reviews. I am even more honored that I have already been asked to come back next year as a workshop presenter. As I am passionate about sharing and teaching about the healing benefits of Expressive/Creative Arts.

I encourage you to contact your local chapter of The Compassionate Friends if you have suffered the loss of a child, sibling or grandchild. The following is the link for their national website: http://www.compassionatefriends.org/home.aspx

This is a journey that you do not need to walk alone. Please reach out to your local chapter of Compassionate Friends. As well as, attend one of their regional or national conferences. The regional/national conferences and local chapters are ran by the experts. All of them have experienced the loss of a child, sibling or grandchild. So, they understand your pain.

Wishing all of you peace, comfort and a RETURN TO HOPE.

Love and many blessings to you,

Misti

Writing Wednesdays

For those of you participating in Writing Wednesdays...sorry about last week. I have been on the road and Internet connections were very sketchy. Anyway, today I have extra prompts to make up for last week! As always, I do hope you are on your healing journey. I also hope you are journaling your grief journey. Journaling can be very healing and therapeutic. It also will allow you to glance back on the past....to see how far you have come in your healing journey.

Journal Prompts

The support I need most during this healing journey is.................

These are the ways I can best obtain the above types of support.........

My greatest emotional needs are........................

The people, places or things that I can turn to when I need extra support are.............

These are the ways the grief support group has helped me.................

These are the things, actions, and/or people that help me get through a tough day.......

Wishing you Peace, Comfort and a Return to HOPE.

Welcome to Writing Wednesdays......

If you are actively grieving..I do hope you will attempt to journal. Journaling can be healing, insightful and provide a source of connection to your deceased loved one. Many resist journaling. Many get overwhelmed with the idea of starting a journal. However, you can keep journaling very simple and still gain therapeutic value. For example, limit you time to journaling. Devote only ten to fifteen minutes to writing....especially in the beginning to make sure that it isn't too emotionally overwhelming. Obviously, if it is too emotionally overwhelming for you to journal...back off from the journaling.

If you do choose to journal.....please come back and visit every Wednesday. Each Wednesday I will have a new grief related writing prompt(s). Today's Writing Wednesday prompts.

This week.................................

I hope to.............................................

Sometimes grief feels like.............................

Wishing you Comfort, Peace and Hope.

Welcome to....Writing Wednesdays

I am declaring Wednesdays on this blog as "Writing Wednesday"....in hopes that this will encourage you to journal. Journaling is a great form of self expression. As well as, an inner communion with yourself. Taking the time for yourself, with pen and paper in hand, can be very cathartic. Sometimes it is easier to spill thoughts, feelings, or ideas out onto paper....rather than speak them out loud. Often times we can discover answers and/or insight when we journal. It is my belief that we have all the answers. However, sometimes we have to excavate the answers...or seek support to help us find our answers.

Journaling can be an excellent form of self-care/self-nurture. Journaling is becoming a very popular Expressive Arts activity and many consider it to be therapeutic. There are many different ways to journal. For example, you can journal in a scrapbook, in a professionally bound journal, in a spiral bound notebook, on loose sheets of paper that are kept in a journal box, etc. You can also get as creative as you want. You can use colored markers, pencils, glitter, snippets of paper glued with a glue stick (collage), etc.

Journaling Tips

Put together a journal bag or basket for your journaling supplies. This bag/basket should include a journal and pens. If you want to draw or add color to your journal, add pencils, markers, crayons, etc. to your bag/basket. Keep this journaling basket near a comfortable chair...or in a bag so you can grab and go out into nature under a big tree or in a park.

Set aside a time to journal. Give yourself about 15 minutes. If the material you are writing/expressing is traumatic, you want to limit your time and not overwhelm yourself.

When writing, don't focus on grammar. You don't need full sentences. Just let your thoughts pour out onto the pages of your journal.

Journaling is for your eyes only. Unless, you want to share an entry with someone. So, keep your journal bag/basket in a safe private place.

In closing, I would like to mention that some people use journaling to stay "connected" to their loved ones. For example, you can write letters to your loved one in your journal...and let him/her know what is going on in your life. You can also use a journal to write down things about your loved one that inspires you. Or, you can use your journal to write down the "Sacred Signs" you have received from your loved ones. Journaling quiets my mind and is a prayerful and meditative experience for me. I hope you will try journaling and see what it can do for you. May you gain insight, comfort and calmness in your life. Wishing you hope and peace.

Writing Wednesday Prompt

What does HOPE look like and feel like to you?

Honoring Our Fathers

I would like to announce a free class that I will be offering. It is titled, Honoring Our Fathers. This class is just in time to remember our Fathers/Father figures for Father's Day. I know holidays can be very difficult for those of us that have experienced a loss. So, if you are missing your Dad, Grandfather, Uncle, Father Figure, please join us for this class.

This class is a conference call combined with an Expressive Art activity. You do NOT need to have any previous art experience to take this class. We will focus on honoring our Fathers, remembering the "gifts" they taught us and do an Expressive Art project. The class will last for approximately two hours. The first hour and half will focus on remembering our Fathers and the Expressive Arts activity. The remainder of the class I will discuss general grief issues and answer grief related questions.

There will be a limited number of spots. So, please contact me soon to reserve a spot. To reserve your spot leave a comment on this blog entry with your contact information. I will email you a confirmation.

What: Honoring Our Fathers, Conference Call/Expressive Arts Activity

When: June 18, 08 (Thursday)

Time: 8:00PM Eastern Time Zone

Cost: Free

NOTE: This class is not a substitute for therapy. If you feel fragile, please seek professional help in your area.

LOVE is Eternal

I truly believe that Love is eternal. Therefore, the love created between you and your deceased love one is still there. The love is not turned off like a light switch. So, what do you do with that love? How do you make the love meaningful now?

Finding ways to nurture the love can usually ease some of the pain associated with a loss. So, even though your loved one is not present physically, you can discover ways to nurture the love that you experienced with your loved one. Continuing to nurture the love and relationship usually brings a feeling of closeness and connectedness to your loved one.

So, what can you do with the love you have for your deceased love one and how can you continue to nurture the relationship? Depending on your spiritual/religious/personal beliefs, there are many different things you can do. For example, you can create a sacred space in your home that has meaningful pictures and/or belongings of your loved one. You can use this sacred space for prayer or a place to sit and "talk" to your loved one aloud or in silence. Another idea is to create a memory garden in honor of your loved one. The memory garden can include your loved one's favorite flowers, a park bench, a bird feeder, water fountain, etc. Anything that brings nature into your heart, gives you good memories about your loved one and makes you "feel" the presence/closeness to your loved one. Did you know there is an organization called the American Horticultural Therapy Association (http://www.ahta.org/). I encourage you to check out their link. The American Horticultural Therapy Association has a great site and more information on the benefits of gardening. Lastly, I would like to mention an Expressive Arts idea.....journaling. Journaling can be an excellent way to stay connected to your loved one. It may be difficult to start journaling, however, once you start it can be very therapeutic and insightful into your healing process. Journaling is a way to express yourself and it is not about using correct grammar, appropriate punctuation, etc. There are many different ways to journal. At this time I will only mention two. The first type of journaling you could do is write letters to your deceased loved one. Tell him/her the new things going on in your life, your concerns, how you miss them, when you "feel" his/her presence near you, etc. The second type of journaling you may want to try is to write about your feelings. This allows you to express your feelings and can lessen the "charge" of the emotions/feelings. As I tell clients...."Don't make live inside your head what doesn't have to...get it out of your head by writing, painting, drawing, etc.". There really are no right or wrong ways to journal. Try it and find a way that suits you.

These activities also continue the legacy of your loved one. Keeping the legacy going can be very helpful in the healing process.


Thankfully, many mental health care professionals realize the importance of maintaining a "bond" with the deceased and finding ways to continue the connectedness. Not too long ago, this was highly frowned on. However, many therapists realize this can be a normal response for some grieving people. I encourage you to find ways to nurture the bond and keep the love flowing. So, whether nurturing your love through a sacred space, memory garden or Expressive Art activities, attempting to try one of these methods may give you insight and offer some comfort and peace.

On your journey I wish for you to find ways to bring love, comfort, peace and hope into your life. I will end this entry with a question.....How can you maintain meaningful connections with your loved one?