Bereavement Support Group

I know it may seem a little odd but I thought it was worth a try for myself--

I'm 23 and have lost my grandmother, grandfather, cousin and mother in the span of 3 years.

When my grandparents died, I had this idea because my mom was so sad all the time--actually we all were having a hard time dealing-- so I went to the store and I bought two journals. I gave one to my mom and kept one for myself, and I told her that when she gets sad and misses my grandma then she should write to her in the form of a journal entry. We had a little cry over this and we began calling them our "Letters to Heaven".

I didn't know that just 3 short months later, my mother would overdose on prescription pain medication. For many years my mother struggled with drug abuse but I didn't realize at the time, the extent of my moms abuse. When she died, it was the worst thing that has ever happened to me to this day. I often find it hard to exist in a world where my mother doesn't.

After the first 6 months of losing my mother, I realized what I wanted to do with my life. I am 2 semesters from being finished with an AAS degree in Human Services, and at the halfway mark of a Bachelors of Sciences in Psychology with an Emphasis in Substance Abuse--
I decided for myself that I could take all that i've learned through a life time of hard experiences and help others who are struggling with chemical dependencies and substance abuse.

When I cleaned out my mothers belongings, I found the journal I had given her and the letters she had wrote in it. Her Letters to Heaven.... I just wanted to share that I write in mine still to this day, and to those of you who are suffering the loss of someone they love, I thought I could give you the gift of this idea. Sometimes it is comforting to be able to open it up and "tell" my loved ones how much I miss them, my frustrations, my denial and anger... and even the good things that are happening in my life.
Posted on 08/18/12, 06:59 pm