January 2025

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My Dear WPS Family,
 

Here we are, starting 2025, a New Year that will bring hope, healing, and challenges for all of us going forward with our new different lives.
 

In Grief Support we learned about “Grief Bursts.” As an example, those could be the times we are driving along in our car, quite content listening to music when…a song comes on that is a special memory with our loved one…and before we know what happened… tears are just streaming down our face. That is a Grief Burst! We are not crazy! Learning about this helps us to accept it and be able to go on with our lives.
 

“Today, I learned about a term called a ‘Glimmer’ (thank you, Mitra Shahidi). A Glimmer is the opposite of a trigger or Grief Burst. Glimmers are those moments in your day that make you feel joy, happiness, peace, or gratitude. Once you train your brain to be on the lookout for Glimmers, these tiny moments will appear more and more.”
 

A Glimmer is a small yet powerful spark of positivity that can brighten your day, the opposite of a Grief Burst or trigger, which evokes discomfort or pain. These are the fleeting moments…a smile from a stranger, sunlight filtering through leaves, the first sip of coffee…that fill your heart with joy, peace, or gratitude. By intentionally noticing these Glimmers, you train your mind to seek and savor them, shifting your focus from life’s challenges to its blessings.
 

Over time, these tiny moments multiply, creating a mosaic of joy that enriches your life and deepens your connections to the present. Glimmers remind us that even on the busiest or most difficult days there is beauty waiting to be seen. Good things are going to happen; have faith; stay positive! The universe is a symphony of possibilities, and within its grand design, good things are always in motion. Though the path may twist and turn, and challenges may arise, hold onto faith, for it is the compass that guides through uncertainty. Embrace positivity, for it is the light that shines brightest in the darkest of times.
 

Believe in the power of hope, for it is the seed that blossoms into a future filled with blessings and joy.
 

Come join us in our Grief Support classes and learn all about Grief, especially Widowed Grief.
 

Happy New Year! Hugs!
 

Ruth Turner, Outreach Chairman and Certified Grief Support Facilitator