Family Health

Holiday Hope Event Will Help People Understand Grief

When someone in your life dies, you are faced with many critical questions related to your grief and mourning.

Milward Funeral Directors, in collaboration with Hospice of the Bluegrass, will help provide answers at Holiday Hope on Monday, Nov. 12, 7-9 p.m. at the Celebration Center of Lexington, 1509 Trent Blvd.

Holiday Hope features Dr. Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D., a noted author, educator and grief counselor.

He serves as the Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado and is a faculty member of the University of Colorado Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine.

Dr. Wolfelt has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Larry King Show, the NBC Today Show and Nick News.

He is the author of more than 30 books on grief and loss.

Among his titles are “Understanding Your Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart;” “Healing Your Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas;” “Healing the Bereaved Child;”  and “Creating Meaningful Ceremonies.”

Holiday Hope is a program that will help grieving individuals explore questions about grief and provide support to help cope with loss during holidays and other special days and anniversaries.

Grievers can expect to have some of these questions  answered:

  • Will I grieve this loss, or will I mourn this loss?
  • Will I befriend the feelings that flow from this loss, or will I deny, repress or inhibit them?
  • Will I be a “passive witness” in my grief?
  • Will I embrace the uniqueness of my grief experience, or will I assume I mourn like everyone else?
  • Will I identify the six needs of mourning and work on them, or will I fall to the cliché: “Time heals all wounds?”
  • Will I move toward “reconciliation” of my grief, or will I believe I must come to a complete “resolution” of my grief?
  • Will I embrace my transformation from this loss, or will I keep trying to get my old self back?
  • Will this loss add to my “divine spark,” or will it take away my life force?

In addition to Holiday Hope, Milward Funeral Directors and Hospice of the Bluegrass will host a Caregiver Seminar featuring Dr. Wolfelt on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 9 a.m. to noon.

Teachers, caregivers, counselors, clergy, nurses and social workers are encouraged to enroll in this free seminar.

Info: www.milwardfuneral.com or call 272-3414.