Loss / Arts Workshop

Tomorrow!
Haven't written about this much here, which is a bit weird, since planning for this began back in July, and somehow I wound up being co-chair of the planning. I'll be leading a writing workshop and making an opening presentation, too.

This is the second such workshop we've done and it's part of the work I do with the Maple Center in honor of my son, Patrick. The first year we focused on dealing with grief after the death of loved ones, but this year we wanted to broaden that to loss in general, to reach others that can benefit from learning ways to use art and creativity to cope with loss. I was especially thinking of all those who lost so much in the floods here back in June, and now there are also people dealing with loss due to the economic situation.

I still have a lot of things to finish up today. I plan to take some time, though, to sit a moment with my own losses and look for some things I need for myself tomorrow. I feel like lately I've been rushing through the days and perhaps not tending my grief as I should.

'Tending my grief'- I've used that phrase in recent months and I think it really conveys some things I've come to know about loss and grief. Mine anyway - I've also learned enough to know that everyone's grief is different. It's not that I want to make a showplace garden of my grief, but it's a like a little secret garden that must be cared for, tended. If not, it can grow wild and tangled and scary....

Namaste,
Zann