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.

Writing Wednesdays

Wow..where has this week gone? A lot of things are going on behind the scenes at Grief Sanctuary. I have just finished a set of Grief Affirmations Cards. They are simple phrases...and intended to facilitate a healing journey. I have received very positive feedback from the preview copies. I am looking forward to designing the art work for the cards and get them sent off to a publisher. Stay posted for more information.

Since it is Wednesday...that means a new journal prompt. This weeks journal prompt is as follows....

What is your loved one's Legacy? What and how do you want them to be remembered? What are the special things/deeds they accomplished that has made you proud? What were their positive influences? Please feel free to leave comments about the Legacy of your loved ones.

I feel everyone has left a Legacy....whether is was a newborn baby/miscarriage/stillborn......or an elderly adult. Their Legacy allows us connections...and a way to honor their life.

Wishing you Peace, Comfort 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?