A Show of Support

So after weeks of nervousness and brief moments of panic, I made my way to my very first support group this evening. I don't think "Terrified" fully communicates my feelings on the subject.

To explain: Back in November, I was approached by the wife of one of my clients regarding her desire to be part of a support group that was specifically for mothers of stillborn children. She wanted to know if I was interested in attending with her. At the time I said, sure, whatever, and promptly forgot about it. Then it started to get more serious before Christmas, when I started communicating with a coordinator for the HOPE group. Sherry is a wonderful woman and she took on the responsibility of leading this sorry group of women through the initial stages of grief. Again, I agreed to be a part of the group, not really sure why I was doing so. I have not felt a lack of support during the last few months, and by her own admission, my situation was quite different from the other women in the group. Still, I felt like it was something that I needed to do, and after tonight I am so glad that I did. Tears were shed, stories were told, and feelings were felt. It was so nice to be in a setting where you didn't need to explain all of the emotions that you run through in a day, week, or month. These women, though very different, all came together with a common goal; we needed to talk and to be understood. We needed each other. This group is really interesting because it is a Christian-based group, and at the end, Sherry asked us all to tell her where we were with our spirituality. She wanted to know if we belonged to a church and how we felt towards God. It was wonderful to share my love for my Heavenly Father and to say what an integral part He has played in not only my healing, but also in my survival in hard times. There was a woman attending this evening that admitted that she was currently asking questions about God and faith,etc. I felt very drawn to her and I wonder if she is part of the reason why I felt a need to be a part of this group. Time will tell.

Anyway, to summarize, it was not easy, but it was good.