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Four Seasons Beaumont Breeze Oct. 2015

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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2015 37 Over the past decade or so, veterinarians and others who provide health care for our pets have begun to acknowledge the pain and grief experienced by pet owners when their beloved companions die. Recently, two of my friends have had to put down a cat and a dog, respectively. Both friends were terribly sad at losing their dear buddies. But each of them mentioned how touched and comforted they were by the efforts put forth by the vets and their staff. They each received a thoughtful bereavement card signed by the doctor and his staff, with personal notes written by those who had had direct contact with the pet. And they were given a memento of some sort to help them memorialize their departed friend. One received a plaster of paris paw print of her cat. My friend is not sentimental, but she was touched by the gesture and has the paw print on her desk where her tabby used to perch. Along with the card and the memento, one friend received a little booklet full of sayings and drawings and The Pet Lovers Code written by Dr Alan Wolfelt, a renowned grief counselor and according to the booklet, a pet loss expert. These are just the headings of the ten "rights" listed in The Pet Lovers Code: • You have the right to grieve the death of a pet. • You have the right to talk about your grief. • You have the right to feel a variety of emotions. • You have the right to be tolerant of your physical and emotional limits. • You have the right to experience "griefbursts." • You have the right to make use of ritual. • You have the right to embrace your spirituality. • You have the right to search for meaning. • You have the right to treasure your memories. • You have the right to move toward your grief and heal. All of these concepts are things that we talk about in our bereavement group. A few of these concepts are very difficult for some of the group participants to grasp. But think about it. If we have all of these rights and needs when we lose a pet, why should we not be afforded the same or more "rights" when we lose a spouse or parent or child? As a culture, grieving is not something we do easily. But a stiff upper lip really does not work very well, especially as time passes. In our group we learn to be kind to ourselves, and to allow others to be kind to us. We talk about honoring our deceased loved ones, and how to go about structuring our lives so as to best continue to live in a manner that honors what they have taught us. If any of this sounds as if it would be helpful, please join us. You will be very welcome, even if you decide not to continue. We meet on Mondays from 1 to 3 pm in the Crafts Room in the Lodge. We make the room private. All conversation is confidential. You can just come and join us or you can contact me at (951) 922-0934 or by email to: lauriemlarson425@ gmail.com. ~ Laurie Larson Bereavement Group Our Bible Studies in the Gospel of Matthew resumed in September and we will complete this series on Tuesday, Oct. 20. On Oct. 27, Jim Seim will begin leading a study in the book of Philippians. Please note that we have a new study room: Recreation Center North (RCN - Old Sales Office) Activity Room #3. Please contact Doc or Letha Sellars at (951) 797-3302 or docletha72@ gmail.com with any questions or comments. Blessings! ~ Doc Sellars Life Guide Bible Study In early September we had an amazing discussion on the topic "A Godly Woman is Confident." We discussed the fine line between confidence and arrogance, that arrogance and insecurity can coexist, and the wise comments that were shared were not only uplifting but concise and clear. Ultimately, we have every confidence in God who made us, called us, saved us and keeps us. In mid-September we shared thoughts on the subject "A Godly Woman is Wise" - how we achieve wisdom, use it daily, and then share it with others. We completed our September discussions on the subject of contentment: how to be content, why be content and what God expects of us. In October, we will begin discussions on "A Godly Woman Is… Generous, Respectful and Prayerful." All of these topics are uplifting, inspirational and hopefully the women leave the meeting with feelings of joy and peace. If you are interested in joining a non-denominational Bible study with an amazing group of beautiful women, please come join us! All versions of the Bible are welcomed. We meet every Friday morning from 10:30 to 11:30 am in the first section of the Ballroom. Hope to see you there! ~ Eileen Gilbert-Antoine "Believe…" Women's Bible Study

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