Geauga Grief Support

What a wonderful testimony about being a grief companion and truly supporting the mourner 💔❤️‍🩹🫶

If someone you love is grieving and you feel helpless and want to know how to support them, grief expert David Kessler will show you exactly how. In today’s episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast, I’m joined by David Kessler, one of the world’s most renowned experts on grief and loss, who has spent more than 40 years helping millions of people through the hardest moments of their lives. One of the most important things he teaches is this: Grief must be witnessed. And that is the hardest part - because when someone you love is in pain, you want to offer solutions. Or help them return to the person they were before the loss. But the person you love will never be the version of themselves they were before experiencing loss. Your job is to love them for who they are now. This episode will completely change the way you understand grief and how to support the people in your life who are grieving. 🎧 “What Nobody Tells You About Grief and Loss.” Listen now on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4fjo02l5Nu7BilhdGDPVRr?si=27_vjm8CQE2GROToNZFaAQ

Find the spark in the little things - a song, a fragrance, a memento - and let them fill you with warmth and connection to those who matter. 🕊️✝️⛪️🎄

The holidays can be beautiful, but they can also be heavy. If this season feels overwhelming, please know you are not alone and your mental health matters. 💛

🕯 Service of Reflection
In that same spirit of care and compassion, we invite you to a gentle Service of Reflection — a quiet, meaningful time of music and worship for anyone experiencing loss or navigating a difficult season.
📅 Friday, December 19, 2025
⏰ 7:00 PM
📍 Sanctuary at Chardon UMC

Check in with yourself. Check in on your loved ones. A small act of kindness can make all the difference. ♥️

Beautiful reassurance…

“When Christmas Finds You Anyway”
(A poem for anyone going through something this year)

Some years,
Christmas doesn’t look the way you pictured.
The house is quieter,
the table feels smaller,
and life has written chapters
you never meant to read.

But somehow…
Christmas finds you anyway.

It slips in through the soft glow of the tree,
through the smell of something warm in the oven,
through a memory that catches you off guard
and makes your eyes fill with tears.

It finds you in the people who stayed,
in the strength you didn’t know you had,
in the way your heart keeps learning
how to break
and still stay open.

It finds you in the simple things—
a mug in your hands,
a blanket over your knees,
a song you haven’t heard in years
that somehow knows your whole story.

Because Christmas isn’t always loud
or glittery
or full.

Sometimes it’s gentle.
Sometimes it’s healing.
Sometimes it’s a light
that shows up right when you needed reminding
that you’re not walking this season alone.

So if this year looks different…
If you’re grieving,
or rebuilding,
or learning how to begin again—
I hope Christmas finds you anyway.

And I hope it brings peace
to the places that still hurt,
and warmth
to the places that feel cold.

Choose compassion.

Shared by almost every mourner I've encountered…

How are you at surfing the waves?

Have you ever felt pressured to "just be positive" even when you're hurting? This is a common thought today in the grief journey.

That’s what we call toxic positivity, and it can do more harm than good. Toxic positivity is a defense mechanism that masks real emotions to avoid discomfort, but it can lead to depression and hinder genuine connections. Signs include feeling guilty for sadness or anger, dismissing difficult feelings, ignoring problems, or feeling pressured to stay positive during tough times. Embracing and releasing emotions is essential for authentic healing and greater freedom.

Www.geaugagriefsupport.com

Typically, understanding is lacking, but compassion and love are certainly not.