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Upcoming Events | Calendar | Blog | News Articles | Awards | Photos | Videos | MIC Programs | Contact Us
Join MIC every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the Month for our
Grief Support Meetings
Lite Dinner at 5:30 p.m., Meeting begins at 6 p.m.
Grief Support Meetings
Lite Dinner at 5:30 p.m., Meeting begins at 6 p.m.
1415 N Broad Street, Suite 229, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Losing a loved one through an act of violence is a very traumatic experience. No one can ever be prepared for such a loss. No amount of counseling, prayer, justice, restitution or compassion can ever bring a loved one back. When someone is murdered, the death is sudden, violent, final and incomprehensible. The survivors’ world is abruptly changed forever. The awareness that your loved one’s dreams will never be realized hits. Life has suddenly lost meaning and many survivors report that they cannot imagine ever being happy again. Homicide survivors will each experience the death differently, as each person had a unique relationship with the victim. A survivor’s own personal history of trauma will also affect the manner in which they experience the death. It is important to remember that no two people grieve the same way, with the same intensity or for the same duration. The grief process if often characterized as work because it is laborious and difficult. There is no timetable for this process. Losing a loved one causes survivors to adjust their lives in order to compensate and cope. Grief can be a long, painful process, but it can be managed with assistance from friends, family, and/or outside support.
Losing a loved one through an act of violence is a very traumatic experience. No one can ever be prepared for such a loss. No amount of counseling, prayer, justice, restitution or compassion can ever bring a loved one back. When someone is murdered, the death is sudden, violent, final and incomprehensible. The survivors’ world is abruptly changed forever. The awareness that your loved one’s dreams will never be realized hits. Life has suddenly lost meaning and many survivors report that they cannot imagine ever being happy again. Homicide survivors will each experience the death differently, as each person had a unique relationship with the victim. A survivor’s own personal history of trauma will also affect the manner in which they experience the death. It is important to remember that no two people grieve the same way, with the same intensity or for the same duration. The grief process if often characterized as work because it is laborious and difficult. There is no timetable for this process. Losing a loved one causes survivors to adjust their lives in order to compensate and cope. Grief can be a long, painful process, but it can be managed with assistance from friends, family, and/or outside support.
To assist survivors in the grieving process Mothers In Charge offers Individual and Group Grief Support.
Individual Grief Support is available on Thursdays with Dr. Betty at the MIC office. It is recommended that new Grief Group Support members meet with her individually at least once before attending their first meeting of the week following their first meeting in order for MIC to learn more about how it can best support the individual during their difficult time of grieving.
Group Grief Support meets every 2nd and 4th Thursday at the MIC office from 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
For more information, on Kathleen’s book, retreats and support go to: http://www.kathleenohara.com/
I recently lost my son and I don't know how to handle the pain. I'm afraid that I can't go on with all these feelings and living with this the rest of my life--how do I get through this?
I know how hard it is to cope during the first year, especially the first few months after losing a child to violence. You have never done this before--and the pain is so strong, you feel like you won't get through it. But you will--a day, a minute at a time. In my book, A Grief Like No Other, I talk about how in the first year we learn how to ride the waves of grief--and they seem like they will never stop. Extreme sorrow, anger, guilt, loneliness are all normal feelings of grief. They are like huge waves in the ocean and you must learn how to ride them. They are part of the grieving process. When they come over you, realize that they will pass--breathe through them and let the grief do its work- they will subside, until they come again. Rest in between them. Grief is hard work but you will learn that you can ride the waves, they will not destroy you. It will get easier--but not right away. This grief take time, remember, as deep as your love was, is as deep as your pain. Remember, too, that the Love you still have for your child will prevail over all things and will remain with you--No one can take that away from you.
I know how hard it is to cope during the first year, especially the first few months after losing a child to violence. You have never done this before-
Kathleen O’hara, author of ‘A Grief Like No Other’
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