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It is already March and the new year is well on its way. If you would like to lose a little weight before summer, now is the time to get started. We have a wonderful group of people who are here for encouragement and support and to help you reach your goals for a happy and healthier you. You may attend one meeting with no obligation. TOPS is very affordable with the yearly membership fee of $32 and $3 per month chapter dues. We meet on Tuesday mornings in the Ballroom with weigh-in from 8 to 8:30 am and the meeting from 8:30 to 9:30 am. For more information you may contact our chapter leader and Four Seasons resident, Cathy Calhoun at (951) 849-2614 or Rosalee Strong, TOPS Area Captain, at (951) 845-9313. ~ Cheryl Burke 36 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MARCH 2016 TOPS Sometimes those of us in the Bereavement Group wonder what we must sound like to someone walking down the hall. We meet in the Craft Room and cover the windows to ensure privacy. We place a Do Not Disturb sign on the door. And although there is serious, sometimes heart-wrenching discussion taking place some of the time, quite often there are gales of laughter and sounds of merriment emanating from inside the screened room. So what's going on? Healing. That's what's going on. I never cease to be amazed and touched by what happens when a group of people, intent upon processing emotional pain, come together. The kindness and generosity each person demonstrates to the others is inspiring. Some share similar stories: they have lost a spouse after a long and agonizing illness or a shocking accident, heart attack or stroke. Others are grieving the loss of a parent or sibling. And even more unexpectedly, some have lost a child. Others are trying to heal the wounds from a divorce or an estrangement. They all come together to try to stop hurting so much. And in the process of grappling with their own pain, they find themselves grappling with each others' pain. It is in this mutual sharing that the healing begins. There is a lot of talking and listening in that room. Stories are shared, some funny, others sad or painful. Different opinions emerge. Off we go down one path, only to find someone's memory jogged which leads us down another path. Sometimes we sound like a book group. Sometimes we sound like a philosophy class. Sometimes it's a travelogue, others a cooking class. This is a bereavement group? Most emphatically yes! Because we are the survivors. As survivors, we must learn how to live a new way, one that does not include that person who's not in our lives any more. Our roles have changed. Our families have changed. And we must change. So all of our talking and sharing helps us decide how we wish to proceed in this life. Just as there are diverse people comprising our group, so are their diverse opinions. And sometimes hilarity ensues. So we laugh, sometimes loudly, then clap our hands over our mouths, shush each other, and marvel at how we can find such fun in a milieu that is dedicated to grieving. But we do, over and over again. If you have suffered a loss and are struggling, come join us. We will welcome you. You can come to one of our meetings which are held on Mondays from 1 to 3 pm in the Crafts Room in the Lodge, or you can phone (951) 922-0934 or email to lauriemlarson425@ gmail.com. All contact is confidential. ~ Laurie Larson Bereavement Group

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