TCF Rogue Valley Chapter ~ Reading Room

In memory of our children, an invitation to our Annual Candle Lighting Remembrance Ceremony

by Patty Mylroie, Chapter Leader, TCF, Medford, OR

While holidays are usually associated with good times and happy memories they can be difficult when we’re grieving the loss of a loved one. Feelings of loneliness and isolation may intensify. Sometimes we just want the holidays to be over so we don’t have to live through them. We must realize that grieving persons have definite limitations: we do not function at normal capacity.

Because of this, the Rogue Valley Chapter of Compassionate Friends will hold its annual Candlelight Remembrance meeting on Monday, December 1st starting at 6:30 p.m. Carol Clum will facilitate this event. This meeting will give us the opportunity to share our holiday pain, our grief, our tears, over the loss of our family member. Through our sharing we can take away some ideas that just might make the holidays more comfortable and meaningful during this time of year. We encourage you to bring a holiday remembrance of your child to share if you so desire.

The Threshold Singers have been invited to provide soothing music for us to help us grieve our loss. The Threshold Singers is a cappella group ministering to Hospice patients. During our balloon release ceremony in July 2007, many found comfort in the lyrics of the original music by members of this group. Join us as we welcome the Threshold Singers to our candle lighting ceremony.

Remembrance candles, donated by Janet Corson in memory of her daughter, Sarah, will be given to each of us. We will light the candles in honor of our loved one.

Refreshments will be provided following the ceremony. This time can be spent sharing more thoughts and feelings with members that may need to be shared before we depart.

In closing, I have decided to add to our Christmas tree an ornament for each of you. On this ornament I will write the name of your child which will be placed on our tree to acknowledge the absence of your loved one. I don’t need the birth or death date on this ornament. All I need to put is the name of your lost one that I will be remembering. I feel I know each and every one of them in their spirit life. This will help me.

Holiday Blessings.