Christmastime is meant to be a season when friends and family gather to share laughter, food and drink and count their many blessings. But, this is not the case for everyone. Grief and sadness can also play a role at this time of year. Many of us remember those we have loved and lost in the past year, or several years, and we find our longings for their presence intensifies at this time of year.
To help us live with this reality, some of us have created an evening to “Honour A Life”––to gather and to remember those we have loved and lost. On Thursday, December 19, we shall gather at The Cove Commons at 7 p.m. We will hear readings from a variety of faith traditions: Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Indigenous and perhaps more. After the readings, we will proceed outside carry candles and place a blue ribbon on the nearby Remembering Tree.
All are welcome to participate in this ritual on one of the darkest nights of the year as we stand together to hold one another’s grief.
After our visit to the tree, we will head back to the Cove Commons to hear Bowen’s Threshold Singers, led by Shasta Martinuk and the men’s Crossing Over Choir, led by Brian Hoover. These singers regularly offer songs designed to provide comfort and care at bedsides or any situation involving a difficult life transition. We will also enjoy some tea and refreshments. All are welcome. If you have any questions, please contact Lorraine Ashdown at lorraineashdown@gmail.com. Wishing all deep peace at this time of year.
‘Grief is not a disorder, a disease or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve.”––Earl Grollman
