Support: The Great Encourager

Have you ever felt all alone while struggling with the death of someone you love? Have you felt as if no one understands the weight of your grief? Have you hesitated to talk about your loved one because you don’t want to burden anyone with your sadness? Do you feel isolated because you don’t have family or friends in your life you can turn to for support?

Support is to grief as air is to breath. We don’t appreciate it until it’s not there. We take support for granted until we experience a loved one’s death and discover that those we thought would be there for us are nowhere to be found. It’s as if death and grief are contagious, or perhaps it’s our cultural aversion to bereavement and dying. If your loved one died by homicide or suicide, the distancing of friends and family is often even more apparent. They don’t know what to say or do. They don’t understand that you don’t need their words. You need their presence.

Our support groups are designed to fill the gap of isolation and the shared experience of grief. There are two main groups of people when it comes to grief – the Get-Its (GIs) and the Don’t Get Its (DGIs). The DGIs won’t understand the heaviness and pain of grief until someone they love dies. The GIs have the shared experience of loss and are aware of all grief entails.

Our support groups are designed to bring the GIs together so they can find the support, understanding, and community they need. They need to be with others who truly relate to them. They don’t need to say one word in our support group meetings. Just being present with others like themselves creates a strong sense of community and a sense of being heard, even when there are no shared words.

We invite you to join one of our virtual support groups to find community, understanding, encouragement, and belonging. For more information, please call 214-452-3105. We look forward to hearing from you.