The journey from mourning to joy

Linda K. Gercken

I thought I was losing my mind! I wandered through the empty house aimlessly. Couldn’t focus. Couldn’t bring myself to make the bed or wash the dishes. I would ask myself, “Why, what’s the point.” Cooking? Forget about it. My heart hurt, my body ached, and all that aimless wandering made me tired.

The phone would ring. I knew it would be someone calling to say they were sorry for my loss. But I couldn’t talk. Didn’t want to talk. How can you talk when there is a lump in your throat? I felt hopeless, completely lost.

This describes the weeks after my husband, my best friend, companion, and love of my life died two years ago. Then, someone who cared about me invited me to a special program called GriefShare where I met people who also had lost loved ones — all of us looking for answers and ways to ease the pain. GriefShare gave me a new perspective and a roadmap for this unfamiliar journey of grief.

If you have lost a loved one, either recently or some time ago, and are experiencing sadness and feeling hopeless, you, too, might benefit from attending GriefShare, an organized program that explains this grief process and helps you understand what you are going through. GriefShare is designed to walk with you in your grief journey from mourning to joy.

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church begins a new 11-week session of GriefShare Jan. 15, 2020. Classes meet every Wednesday at 1 p.m. There is a $15 charge to cover the cost of the workbook. To register, contact the church office at 480-895-8766 or [email protected]. If you would like to talk with someone, please feel free to contact Pastor David Holling at the church or by emailing [email protected].

Footnote-two years later: I wish I could tell you that everything is back to normal, and my life is full of joy. GriefShare taught me that my life will never be “nomal” as I knew it. But I have learned to accept the new normal and have even found some moments of joy in life again. There are still those moments of sadness, but now I know it is okay, part of the process, and I am not losing my mind.