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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MARCH 2025 49 Life After Loss "Leaving a Legacy" The cylindrical tins were pale green. My father had instinctively known their protective exterior would preserve the intended 16 mm memories. Now decades later, those same tins lay safely preserved on the shelf of his son … awaiting the required digital transformation. Once relevant for the 21st century, they would hopefully provide the renewal and connection for another generation. This is the nature of leaving a legacy. Leaving the generational links that we have known in our own past takes time to process. And to preserve. Especially for the griever. In the aftermath of wounded hearts and devastated spirits, "making memories" can be a daunting task. For those interested, there are, however, some valuable guideposts to illumine the path: 1. Be mindful of your own place in the grieving process. If your loss is recent (under two years), your heart and mind may not be ready to f lex the required emotional muscle for such a process. Navigating pictures, movies and memorabilia that remind you of your loved one is a draining experience. Trust yourself and the input/help of others to know when to begin the "personal work" of making a legacy. 2. Know yourself and your personality. I am sentimental … a lover of the way things "used to be." I was reluctant to "excavate" the necessary memories/emotions that digitizing that film would entail. I needed the balance, and relational guard-rails of someone who could support me and nudge me throughout the process. 3. Every personal/familial "legacy" will look and feel different. There are many organizations that offer many creative ideas for leaving a lasting and living connection. Creating a "north star" for future family members is a rewarding and fulfilling journey. One that can bring the desired healing to a wounded heart. By the way … those pale green tins? They were digitized by myself and my wife not long ago and then shared with my only sister. Following the planned instillation of our own future commentary, we intend to provide a second digital guide to for the people/places that our children and grandchildren may not fully know. In so doing, I've moved memories from a tangible metal tin to hopefully anchor the intangible memories and minds of my decedents. The Life After Loss Group is about "people helping people" who have encountered any form of grief/loss in their life. Should you desire a deeper understanding of what it means to live a more meaningful "life after loss," we invite you to join us. Unless otherwise notified, we meet in RCN Room #3, the first and third Mondays of each month from 1 to 3 pm. All information is kept confidential. If you have experienced a form of grief/loss and would like to join the group, please text/call me beforehand at (909) 936-7097 or email byron.thomsen@yahoo.com. ~ Byron omsen We have been focused on the New Testament since the beginning of January, and are enjoying studying the Synoptic Gospels. We have compared the healing of the leper in Matthew, Mark and Luke. We have learned that Luke had not even met Jesus, but was so thorough and precise in explaining His activities that not many people would have guessed. We also tackled the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew (in Luke it is known as the Sermon on the Plain) and the differences in those two sermons. Beginning in mid-February we are discussing the parables of Jesus and their similarities and differences in the telling. Last, we will discuss Jesus' miracles (at least the ones recorded) because many times appearing in the Synoptic Gospels is the similar phrase "and he went about the countryside healing the people," which means there is an unknown huge number of healing miracles that were not recorded. Four Seasons ladies, please come join us, hear Jesus speak to us through His Word, and fellowship with the other strong and amazing women in the class. We meet every Friday at 10:30 in the The Lodge Game Room. See you there! ~ Eileen Gilbert-Antoine, (951) 922-6829 or egcellent@msn.com "Believe …" Women's Bible Study

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