Grief 101: For Parents with Grieving Kids    

by Marlaine Darfler

As I read the article in the February e-newsletter about Hospicare's 30th anniversary, it reminded me of my early experiences with the agency. I clearly remembered being 28 years old, pregnant with my first child, and sitting around a table in 1982 with an impressive collection of professionals from the social work and medical fields of Tompkins County. We were discussing the feasibility of opening the first free-standing Hospice in New York State.

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by Elaine Mansfield

"I'll find a way to be all right without you," I promised my husband Vic a few weeks before his death in 2008. I'm still working to fulfill that vow.

After 40 years of marriage and two years of caregiving, I was exhausted, grief-stricken and starting over whether I wanted to or not. Where should I live? What should I do? I questioned everything.

I began creating a new life while mourning for the one I had lost. I experimented with new activities such as volunteering at Hospicare while drawing support from family, friends, nature and a continuing inner connection with Vic.

In 2011, my experiences led me to facilitate a Hospicare bereavement group for women who had lost spouses or partners. The women who attended this and a 2012 group found that spending time with others who had experienced a similar loss brought hope and strength. Encouraged by the success of these earlier groups, we are once again offering this structured time of sharing and bonding for women who have lost partners or spouses. I hope you will join us.

For more information on Standing in Our New Lives: A Bereavement Group for Women Who Have Lost Partners or Spouses, click here or visit the events section of the Hospicare website.

Elaine Mansfield is a writer and bereavement volunteer at Hospicare. To learn more about her, visit www.elainemansfield.com. 

• Women Singin': 3/5, 5:30-7:00 PM
• Evening Bereavement Support Group: 3/6 & 3/20, 5:30-7:00 PM
• Tuesday Lunch Group: 3/12, Noon 
• Wednesday Breakfast Group: 3/27, 8:30 AM
• Young(er) Adults Grief Group: registration deadline 3/4, sessions start 3/7 and run for 4 weeks
• Grief 101: For Parents with Grieving Kids: registration deadline 3/13, session meets 3/18
• Volunteer Training: registration currently ongoing,         6 sessions total, starting 4/9  
• Standing in Our New Lives: For Women Who Have Lost Partners or Spouses: registration deadline 4/2, sessions start 4/9 and run for 4 weeks. 

For more information on any of the above groups or events, please call 607-272-0212, or visit our Events page to download a PDF of our current calendar.