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40 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | AUGUST 2019 Bereavement Group Have you ever seen your grandchild sob when a favorite blanket or toy is taken away? At that moment, your grandchild is grieving. When you have driven away from your family home for the last time after successfully putting it up for sale, and your chest is tight and you are fighting tears, you are grieving. When the adored boss you've worked for 15 years retires and you return home after the going- away party and sob because you'll miss her and because your job will never be the same again, you're grieving. And when your husband or wife, your partner, exhibits signs of cognitive dysfunction or the physical impairments of a life threatening illness or both together and suddenly you don't know this person you are living with and are taking care of, you most probably feel bewilderment, anger, frustration and sadness. You are grieving. The grief most of us think about, is the grief following death. And that is probably the most painful grief we will experience. But there are many other losses we can suffer during our lives that cause grief. Grief is the response to the loss of something or someone with which or with whom we have formed a bond of affection. And when a situation changes drastically, or a person changes drastically, grief can and most likely does, ensue. In our Bereavement Group, we are seeing more residents joining us whose spouses and/or partners are still alive but so drastically changed due to cognitive and/or physical impairment, that the resident barely recognizes them and is grieving. They are grieving the loss of the person whose personality they no longer know, whose physicality has hugely deteriorated, or both. And they are also grieving the loss of their own way of life. If any of the above situations is affecting your life, and you would like a safe place to share your feelings, then come join us. You will find a group of people who will listen to you, who will understand you, who will not judge you, and who will not talk about what goes on in the room. We meet on Mondays from 1 to 3 pm in the RCN Conference Room. You can just show up, or you can call me first at (951) 922-0934 or email to lauriemlarson425@gmail.com. All contact is confidential. ~ Laurie Larson