|
 The Compassionate Friends
offers more than 660 meeting locations around the country. In small towns and
large cities, bereaved parents, siblings, and grandparents meet together to
talk, listen, share, and provide each other emotional support after the
devastating death of a child. When you attend chapter sessions, you won’t find
professionals running the meetings and giving advice. We are not therapists and
we do not provide counseling. Everyone will be just like you, someone who is
going through the natural grieving process.
As we meet together, we
learn from each other through our shared experiences. You will find people
attending the meetings of all ages from young adult to 70 and 80 year- olds.
You will find people mourning the loss of an adult child and others who are
mourning the loss of a child who never had an opportunity to take its first
breath. You may find people whose child died 30 years ago and others with a
loss so fresh their pain is measured in days and weeks.
No one comes to judge
another. You will find that children are being mourned who have died from all
ages and all causes. The pain is the same—that of the loss of hopes and dreams that will never be realized.
Come and join with others
who understand much of what you’re feeling—certainly not everything—but a lot
more than most people, simply because we’ve been there. Know that there will be
sadness and tears as we talk about our loss, but there will also be joy and
laughter as we remember special times with our children. You don’t have to say
anything if you don’t want to, but you will certainly be given that
opportunity.
We ask but one thing from
you—that you attend at least three meetings before you decide if The
Compassionate Friends is right for you.
We know that support groups
are not for everyone. But why not give it a try and see why it’s not unusual to
hear people who attend one day say, “The Compassionate Friends saved my
life”.
|