Food for Thought/Resource

[BohoKat]

Processing overwhelming grief takes time until you can start to rationally assess how you feel so you can start healing. I had never thought about this until I received the following from a daily email I get from http://griefshare.com:
“The range of things you need to grieve for may surprise you. Identify your losses and be prepared to grieve for each one. Use the list below as a starting point.

• your companion
• your lover
• your encourager
• your “entertainer”
• your source of delight
• the one who shares your private jokes
• your breadwinner
• the one who knows you so well
• your housekeeper
• the shoulder on which you cry
• your cook
• the arms that embrace and comfort you
• your mechanic
• the one who always cheers you
• your friend
• your pride and joy”

My grief has so long been jumbled thoughts. Focusing on a single aspect and “sitting” with it is helping me work through things. Bear in mind I have been in grief for almost 18 months. If your grief is newer and more raw this may not be helpful and please be gentle with yourself.

The Griefshare site also has videos, links to local groups, and other resources. Their material is good but Bible-based so if that if that is not your thing you may need to “read past” certain parts or skip this one. Hope this helps. Peace be with you.

[Sim7079]

Thanks for sharing @BohoKat

[Ronni_W]

BohoKat, thanks so much for that list! (For me, also "computer expert".)

On top, I really do appreciate your sensitivity 💗 in hoping to help people see and go past the Judaeo-Christian aspects of this resource, to reach the universal nuggets that all resolve to 'Cosmic Love'. (My own family-of-origin background is Christian {Roman Catholic}, but I've also found much of constructive grief-healing concepts in especially Sufi teachings. I'm not even really sure why that is, because some branches of Bhuddism, and Kashmir-Shaivism, do also offer some of the same. Or maybe it's just cos I'm finding the book/PDF, The Knowing Heart: A Sufi Path of Transformation, so engrossing at this time? A friend of mine recently mentioned it to me again, so I've just started reading it again. (But, other than for this, at the minute, I really don't know why I'm being drawn to that one, specifically.)

At the same time, it does not also include such a practical list as in your post. Maybe it's just that we need to "leave no stone unturned" for our own grief-healing 'journey'? I still really don't know...this is just what came into my mind as I was typing.

Again, thanks, BohoKat, and much love and 'Cosmic Blessings and Abundance' to you. Ronni

[BohoKat]

@Ronni_W I too am Roman Catholic (converted after being raised Evangelical Christian). I believe you are right about “universal nuggets”, since I also believe everyone is created unique so we will relate spiritually in our own unique way. My boss may be a Jewish carpenter, but he gave me a brain and never asked me to check it at the door. Have also learned a lot from Eastern traditions. Peace be with you. <hugs>

[Ronni_W]

On 10/3/2022 at 10:07 AM, BohoKat said:

@Ronni_W [...]. My boss may be a Jewish carpenter, but he gave me a brain and never asked me to check it at the door. Have also learned a lot from Eastern traditions. Peace be with you. <hugs>

BohoKat, and All Good Things to you, as well.

For me -- and I guess this is where I veer off 'sideways' from other RCs, my "Boss" is not, nor ever was, a Jewish (or Christian, or Sufi, or Muslim, etc., et al.) carpenter on Earth. My Boss is the Boss of that Jewish carpenter to whom I think you are referring, who always did refer to his Boss, and never claimed to be anybody's boss. (Which, BohoKat, all of these 'bosses' may only make sense to you. But I felt it important to me, to mention it to you.)

An other resource for grief healing. Anderson Cooper was on Stephen Colbert the other night, and they talked about Anderson's podcast, 'All There Is', about his own journey through loss and grief. (His brother died from suicide when Anderson was, if I remember, around 21; and he is the son of Gloria Vanderbilt, of whom I know nothing other than she was some kind of 'famous' person. I've only Googled for, and bookmarked, the link for the podcasts; haven't listened to them yet. But, based on how he was expressing things with Stephen, the topic of loss and grief will be dealt with sensitively.)

Love and hugs, and healing, strength and comfort, to one and all.   Ronni

[BohoKat]

17 hours ago, Ronni_W said:

My Boss is the Boss of that Jewish carpenter to whom I think you are referring, who always did refer to his Boss, and never claimed to be anybody's boss.

@Ronni_W I get you. For clarification, I can say that because I believe in the Trinity, so referring to Christ automatically includes the Father and the Holy Ghost. For my own path, consider myself a follower of Jesus with a healthy dose of skepticism. Organized Christian religion of all stripes does itself no favors nowadays.  Many are automatically turned off by “Jesus language” so I choose tongue-in-cheek. That way I can put it out there with a grin instead of an eye roll. Then maybe I open a door for conversation. Thanks for the grief resources. Peace, BohoKat