My Private Memorial Service
by Lori Pederson
After my Mom passed away, we
had so many plans to make it became a whirled wind of activity. We had
one Memorial Service in California and her burial in South Dakota. Two
weeks after my mother passed away, my aunt was killed in a car accident and
we had to help make arrangements for her funeral and assist my cousin in
getting ready for college. There was really no time to step back
and really take in all that was happening.
After things had calmed
down a bit I decided I needed to do something for myself, something to allow
me to grieve.
My friend, Pastor Smith
allowed me to have a private service in honor of my mother. It was
just the two of us. We talked about my mom, I brought in pictures and
memories of special moments I spent with my Mom. We prayed together
and cried together. It was a special time for me to allow myself to
feel the great loss I had just experienced as well as cherish the memories I
had of my Mom. It was an healing experience and I am greatly
appreciative of Pastor Smith's willingness to be their for me in my time of
need.
Adventures in Ballroom Dancing
by Marcy Kelly, Author of
From
Sorrow to Dancing
 A girlfriend and I planned to go to Hollywood Ballroom in
Silver Spring, MD for the Friday night Singles Dance. Planning what we
would wear was just like being back in high school. She had never done
ballroom dancing and I hadn’t danced for many years! What would this
adventure be like? Would anyone ask us to dance? Was this
“ballroom” in a safe place? What if someone DID ask me to dance.
After that first evening, my friend decided that dancing
wasn’t for her and she didn’t want to return to the ballroom. I had
quite a dilemma because I wanted to dance but after having been married for
so many years, I wasn’t sure that I could actually go to the ballroom by
myself. I didn’t know ANYONE at the ballroom. Where would I sit?
Would anyone talk to me? What would I do if only unattractive men
asked me to dance?
All afternoon prior to the next
singles dance, I worried about what I should do. I talked to myself
about what I might expect, whether or not I WANTED to try going alone, and I
tried to assuage all my fears. Then, I had an idea that made all the
difference…I would go alone but with a
plan. My plan was that if I
wasn’t having a good time for any reason, I would come home. That simple
thought gave me the freedom to go to the ballroom by myself. What a
liberating thought!
Once I realized that no one else cared if I went dancing
or didn’t go, and that I was in charge of what happened with respect to how
long I stayed and with whom I danced, my attitude changed. I started
going to the ballroom three times a week, Friday and Sunday for the singles
dances and Tuesday for dance class.
Getting back into life after a loss seems impossible but
if you try something that you love (golf, swimming, crafting, dancing,
skiing, tennis, going to the gym, going to yard sales…) you will soon see
that your life can be better and you can be happy again.
To read the full story, we invite you to visit
Marcy Kelly's Blog
http://marcythecoach.com/blog/widow/adventures-in-ballroom-dancing/
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When my Mom passed away my
friends thought it would be a good idea to get me out of the house to have a
little fun.
