For me, the journey of grief has been as surprising as it has been a time of grieving the passing of my mother just days before Mother’s Day in 2014. That November, I came across an email from an online catalogue company from which I had ordered Christmas gifts for my mother, and just seeing the name of the company was enough to fill my eyes with tears.

It was because of moments like that that I decided I needed to take some time to care for myself, so I signed up for the GriefShare class that was being offered at my church the following January. It was through watching the videos and participating in the class discussions that I discovered that my seeming forgetfulness and lack of energy were not signs of serious health issues but were really reflections of my grief over my mother’s passing.

If you have recently experienced the loss of a loved one or find yourself still grieving someone’s death from several years ago, consider being a part of the Wednesday afternoon GriefShare class beginning January 13 and running through March 30 at Sun Lakes United Methodist Church. The class will meet weekly from 1:00-2:30 p.m. in Room One of the church’s education building. Pastor Jean Newell and layperson Carol Israel will be the co-facilitators. Each lesson is self-contained, so if you are not able to attend every class, please know you are welcome to come as often as you can. The class registration fee of $15 covers the cost of the workbook. Register online at www.sunlakesumc.org or at the church office.

For more information call 480-895-8766.