As a follow-up to the information about the on-going Grief Support Group at St. Matthias Church in Lanham, there will be forth-coming grief notes to be shared with you, our readers.

Losses are much a part of each of our lives. Some are smaller losses, others are significant and heart-breaking.

Our smaller losses we experience for a much shorter period of time.  We feel the disappointment, some sadness, or perhaps shed some tears.  In several hours or perhaps in a few days we let go of some of the feelings and expectations we had, and are able to move on to other things in our lives.

Bigger losses, that bring more serious consequences, are those that entail losing a loved one to death or though divorce; losing health through a serious illness; or perhaps losing one’s financial well-being.  The serious consequences include a deep sense of sadness and a feeling of complete disruption of one’s life.  We grieve these losses for weeks, months, or perhaps a year or years. During that time we shed our tears, reminisce what we had, process our deep feelings, and expect healing to occur in time. This is grief, a process we can’t avoid or easily dismiss.  It is a process through which each person must pass despite its difficulty.  The love of family and friends can be our sustaining force.