"We must allow everything."
Frank Ostageshi

 

"Susan's calm, empathic demeanor helps those who are vulnerable to feel at ease, and to trust that they will be cared for. She cares about the health and well-being of the community, and her volunteer hours are a testimonial to her commitment to Hospice of Petaluma and to Point Reyes."

Nina Arbour
Manager, Hospice of Petaluma

 

"There is a crack,
a crack in everything. That's how the light
gets in."
Leonard Cohen

 


I have been a Hospice volunteer for many years; coming to this calling after my dear mother, Joan, died in a nursing home from Alzheimer’s complications. I find supporting individuals and their families through both the dying and the grief process to be extremely rewarding.

I have had extensive experience with providing both personal care-giving and bereavement counseling. I also co-facilitate grief groups for people coping with personal losses.

Recently I collaborated with other local Hospice staff to bring Gifts of Grief to Point Reyes Station. This amazing documentary is a powerful statement to the transformative opportunities that can come out of tragic loss and deep grief. Please visit Nancee Sobonya's website, www.giftsofgrief.com.

Currently, I am striving to create more opportunities for people in my small town to gather together and support each other in their grief. Every year, over the Holidays, I offer (in conjunction with Hospice of Petaluma) a drop-in support group. This group, Holiday Blues, is for people who are dealing with grief around the Holidays. 'Holiday Blues' Guest Column is a article written by me in 2010 and published in the West Marin Citizen. I discuss the power of community to help support us through our grief process. Please click here to download the article as a PDF file.

Stages of Grief:
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. These are not linear, but circular. There is no way around them. We must just go through it, many times over.

Self Care Tips:
• Journaling
• Feel your feelings
• Call a friend who can "just listen"
Do something nice for yourself
• Get outside into nature

There is an old Irish saying:
“How can I be with you if I'm not sad?” Being fully with our grief is one of the most authentic human experiences. And sharing this process with others is a natural and integral part of being human.

 

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