
Life was been wicked busy lately, even as I’ve struggled to find purpose in it all.
But I’ve had a few surprising breakthroughs and “aha!” experiences, and John has continued to be with me every step of the way – he may have transitioned from this life, but he’s not gone.
Most recently I’ve connected with an amazing clinician who will be working with me to restart and energize the grief support groups. With the whole pandemic and social distancing, I had let this project go by the wayside, even though it still is something I believe to be critically needed.
So! Beginning Tuesday, March 23, I’ll be offering grief support groups again, for survivors of suicide loss. Tim Bates, a local clinician, will be joining us, bringing his own unique perspective and a strong desire to support all of us who are dealing with the kind of loss that cannot be understood unless you’ve lived it.
Tim and I plan to do the expansion I’d originally envisioned, and become a source of strength and hope for those who are experiencing the kind of grief that accompanies a loss by suicide…. because we believe that we are all warriors with strengths that may not yet have been tapped, as did those who we.ve lost in such a devastating fashion.
The group size will be limited due to Covid 19 restrictions, and we will follow all CDC guidelines to keep everyone safe. We’re also hoping to allow people to join us through a HIPAA compliant telehealth program – we’re not yet sure how that will work, but like everything else, we’ll figure it out as we go along.
The group will meet at the offices of Heritage Health Services, 124 Canal Street, Suite C in Lewiston on Tuesday evenings from 6:00-7:30 pm.
Flyers to come… I’m reworking them right now!
Please call me – Linda – at 207.713.0674 for more information.
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In memory of my beloved husband John Kelly Snyder… 20 Sept 1956 – 21 Oct 2016.
My Johnny was a true warrior, fighting demons no one else could see. I thought he was the strongest man in the world, and perhaps he was, but tragically, the demons got the better of him in this life.
The name of this project is in no way intended to be reflective of, or piggy back off, Wounded Warriors which serves those military personnel wounded after September 11, 20o1. Like too many others, John was a warrior long before then.
Fair winds and following seas, Husband.
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We now have a group on Facebook to help find resources, support and ideas for getting The Grief Warrior Project off the ground. You can find us there at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thewarriorproject/
Follow us on Twitter! @WarriorProjME.
Help support The Grief Warrior Project by making purchases from Heritage Collectibles of Maine. All profits (after expenses) go to helping us help others. You can find Heritage Collectibles at https://heritagecollectiblesmaine.com, on Facebook (both a group and a page) and on Twitter (HeritageGifts). Some of Heritage Collectibles’ inventory is available to be purchased at the offices of Heritage Health Services, 124 Canal Street in Lewiston – the conference room has been turned into a “By Appointment Only” shop..
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Despite decades of disbelief, I have come to realize that our loved ones are able to communicate with us through the life/death barrier. My Johnny has proved this in ways that I can’t attribute to my own mind making things up… there have been complex coincidences and synchronicities, extraordinary happenings, and messages through others who could not possibly have any knowledge of the information they’ve passed on. Truly mind-blowing stuff. I don’t yet have a coherent sense of what I believe about life after death, but I know my husband loved me with everything he had, and that he still does. Our wedding vows were “to death and beyond” and that has proved true for both of us.
I can’t tell you how it all works, or how you can get through to your own loved one, but if you’re interested, I can tell you of my experiences and my thoughts on this.