🤗 WE are thinking of YOU! Please Stop By To See Us :)

[Anonymous]

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WE cry, rejoice, talk, share!

Whatever YOU need, WE are here for YOU.

***YOU are a very SPECIAL person and WE want to hear from YOU***

Grief & Loss Team 🤗

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

📋  [4/23 6:36am] How To Notify AARP About a Deceased Member (AARP Article)

[🔽*** See LINK below ***🔽]

https://help.aarp.org/s/article/deceased-member

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[4/22 10:13pm] ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING "UPLIFTING" TO SHARE?  🤔

“There will come a day, I promise you, when the thought of your son, or daughter, or your wife or your husband, brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. It will happen. My prayer for you is that day will come sooner than later.”

~~ Joe Biden

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

(4/22/24 9:18pm)

How are YOU doing TODAY/TONIGHT?

👣👣👣  Keep stepping!!!

Nicole  🤗🤗🤗

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[4/22 6:04pm] HOPE IS WHAT KEEPS ME GOING, Nicole  ‌‌🤗🤗🤗‌‌

“HOPE lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” – Jonas Salk.

(1) HOPE reduces feelings of helplessness, increases happiness, reduces stress, and improves our quality of life.

(2) Finding HOPE when everything feels hopeless can be challenging, but it's possible.

(3) Focus on small positive moments, lean on your support system, practice self-care, and seek professional help if needed.

(4) Remember that difficult times are temporary, and your resilience can carry you through.

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[4/22 1:53pm] WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO IS GRIEVING?  🤔  I will ADD your advice to this list! Thanks, Nicole  🤗🤗🤗

My Advice - not everyone is going to "understand" your journey, so find ways to connect with folks who do. Not everyone is going to make time for you. TREASURE THE ONES THAT DO AND THANK THEM!!!  👍

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[4/21 11:09pm] Your Emotions. Mourning takes time. It’s common to feel a MIX OF EMOTIONS for a while.

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[4/21 11:05pm] Talk to your doctor. Be sure to let your healthcare provider know if you’re having trouble with EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES, like getting dressed, sleeping, or fixing meals.

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[4/21 9:58pm] ANY COMMENTS?  🤔  I NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND!  *** not a garden, scared of snakes *** NICOLE  🤗🤗🤗

"Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built of a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touches some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you're there." ~~Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

‌‌🐈‌‌‌‌🐕‌‌  [4/21 4:34pm] SOME OF US HAVE "FURBABIES" IN OUR LIVES. TELL US ABOUT YOURS!

Me - Mr. No Name is a cat who was left behind by his humans when they moved. But refuses to be adopted and LUVED by us all. My boy!!! Nicole ‌‌🤗‌‌

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[4/20 7:11pm] Join a grief support group in person or online. It might help to talk with others who are also grieving. Check with your local hospice, hospitals, religious communities, and government agencies to find a group in your area.

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[4/20 5:40pm] Try not to make any MAJOR CHANGES right away. It’s a good idea to wait for a while before making BIG decisions, like MOVING or CHANGING JOBS. Lol, sometimes we RUN from the "memories" and end up in a "very unsafe" situation. I use to have a Phd degree in that!!!  😱   TAKE YOUR TIME... 👍

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

📋  [4/20 12:45pm] AARP has LOTS of resources set up to help us. Thank you AARP!!!

[🔽*** See LINK below ***🔽]

https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/grief-loss-end-of-life/

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[7:21am,10:47pm] WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF YOUR HEALING JOURNEY?  ‌‌🤔‌‌

Me - anger. Anger at NOT having the Love Ones I lost in my life as I age. 66 this year (2024). Nicole  ‌‌🤗‌‌

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[8:08am,10:44pm] Remember. It takes time to fully absorb the impact of a major loss. You never stop missing your loved one, but the pain eases after time and allows you to go on with your life. Nicole  🤗

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[8:12am,9:57pm] WHAT HAS HELPED YOU THE MOST WITH YOUR HEALING JOURNEY?  ‌‌🤔‌‌

Me - my daughter. Knowing she NEEDS me, the only parent she has left. I still have my monents, but I make an effort for her. Nicole  ‌‌🤗‌‌

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[11:28am,8:12pm] Be patient. It can take months or even YEARS to absorb a major loss and ACCEPT YOUR CHANGED LIFE.

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[6 comments] AT SOME POINT OF OUR "HEALING JOURNEY" WE ARE READY TO GET BACK OUT THERE TO SOCIALIZE. ARE YOU?  ‌🤔‌

Me - finally "feeling" the interest to locate some PEACEFUL interactions with folks MY AGE [66 this year 2024]. Lol, had visited the local Senior Center and lost interest once I encountered I guess the member who feels she runs it. Rude and controlling. I had hoped the place would be run by the County who owns it. Guess not.

So NOW to figure out some other "possibilities" and research some other ideas [as I find them].

Nicole  ‌🤗‌

[mc6844]

Nicole, I got a chuckle when I read your post. I could just see you encountering this person, then walking out. So many groups are like that. Have you tried wildlife rescue? I think there's a whole network of people rescuing injured wildlife and getting them to rescue locations. They have people who pick up the animals. It sounds very interesting and rewarding. Just a suggestion!

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[4 comments] Lol MC @mc6844  🤣😂  and I did "try" to be NICE to her but...

Yes, here in Cave Spring (Virginia), they do the wildlife thing.  👍

[mc6844]

Nicole, so funny! Know that I'm laughing with you, not at you. I find the wildlife rescue interesting and enjoyable to follow. It's so good those animals don't have to suffer out in the wild or be destroyed. I couldn't do much except take a pic of an injured bird, racoon etc and send it to the local rescue. They have local rescues now for every kind of animal, amazing.

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

Lol MC @mc6844 , you are fine!!!  👍

I luv your sense of humor. Made me "giggle"...

Nicole  🤗🤗🤗

[mc6844]

I'd just like to add it's not easy finding new interests. So much of our interests were tied up with people who aren't here anymore. 

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

I agree MC @mc6844 and ADD my "growing" dislike of controlling humans  🙄🙄🙄

Alot of these places FORGET I am retired and have ZERO interest in stress....  👵

[jonibee]

I came across a book that gives us insight as to how to deal with the loss of loved ones and pets. It's titled "The Love Never Ends" by Sunny Dawn Johnson ..Well worth checking it out....

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

[2 comments] Jonibee @jonibee , where did you get YOUR copy?  🤗

[jonibee]

I believe it was from Thrift Books.com .Another great place is the Salvation Army but you have to delve into looking ...

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

Thanks Jonibee @jonibee  🤗

[SpringIsHereSoHappy]

(4 comments) Marcy @MarcyW882921 , hmmm - do you mean setting up the home you shared with a luv one who passed?

In your case, your husband.

[1] The challenge is the bedroom deciding whether to keep the bed you BOTH slept in. Are you keeping yours? I tend to want "reminders" gone - not things like pictures, just furniture.

[2] Another challenge is maybe the ROUTINE you may have had with him. Maybe a garden, or sitting on a porch for morning coffee or watching TV in the evenings. Now the garden can be THERAPY as we can continue to work in it to "honor" him. As far as TV programs - that one is "emotional" and stepping away for some time helped.

Not sure what you are needing but this is my 2 cents worth.

Luv you STRONG AND DETERMINED lady!!!  🤗🤗🤗

---

[*** MARCY @MarcyW882921 wrote:

So...I would be interested in hearing about anyone's journey to create a living space of your own after the loss of a loved one.

Marcy ***]

[MarcyW882921]

Thanks Nicole @SpringIsHereSoHappy for weighing in on this topic. All of us are unique as individuals and therefore in our responses to grief.

One of the presenters in the webinars talked about how the minute your loved one passes away your life is changed. The people in this forum certainly know this is true. I think we have discussed the change in one's identity, the search for who you are without that person, and finding one's purpose in life.

Another change is our perception of our living space. Are you comfortable there without your loved one? Can you continue to live there? Are changes needed to improve your comfort level? Is there a desire to "make it your own" reflecting your personal tastes?

I have been very comfortable in my home because I feel love and a presence. I did however do a remodeling of two rooms that we had planned together. I did make selections in the process that reflected my personal tastes. Recently I changed some window treatments and bedspreads that create an even happier place for me.

All the best to everyone who is working through all of these issues.

Marcy