Widows Quest » nuturing

The Essence of Family

Anna Farmery — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 12:54:08 +0000

At a time of loss one of the great comforts to us all is our family. Family understands, family provide love and support, family helps fill the void. The photo here is of my family who I love very much. My mum and my 96 year old Nana both who have lost their husbands but have found a way of enjoying life again.

Here are some thoughts on the strength of families

F= Family provides comfort, and always remember to say how much you love them. You never know when you might lose someone, so ensure they know how you feel.

A= Always remember each member grieves in a different way. Some appear broken others that they are hardly affected. All are grieving in the way they find best.

M=Memories are important, make sure that you talk about the passing and the love that they brought to the world.

I= Inspiration for moving on can be gained from seeing the new role you have in your family. They need you even more, they need your love even more….gain inspiration for the future from looking at how you can help your family.

L=Love of your nearest and dearest will see you through the toughest times. Love really does conquer all!

Y=You have much to live for, to see your family grow and prosper. You are as central to their lives as your spouse was to you.

Post from: Widows Quest

A Star Doll for Comfort

gayla — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 03:12:12 +0000

I want to introduce you all to a wonderful artist that understands grief. She is a soul-sister of mine; you know when you meet someone, and you know you have known each other somewhere, sometime before? That is the way it was with Noreen. We immediately found our place with each other. I can’t say enough about this lovely woman, her heart, her skill, and her art.

She wrote me this today, and gave me permission to reprint it. She has a wonderful and tangible way to comfort yourself when grief is present in your life.

The Tribe of Healer Star Dolls

~for healing grief~

After my Dad died,
we were driving home from the celebration of his life.
I was thinking about my Dad,
and looked up.

There in the night sky, was a very very bright star.
I was washed over with a wave of comfort.
I felt like it was my Dad, saying,
‘All’s well………’

I told my Mom about this experience,
and she said that she has been watching the same star,
feeling the same comfort!

Then, my best friend sent me a beautiful card.
It said that an Innuit legend
assures us that the night stars are really
our loved ones who have gone on,
and they are smiling back at us,
saying:
‘All’s well……..’

Every evening I take a moment to step outside,
and catch a glimpse of that particularly comforting star,
and I know:
‘All’s well’.

If you or someone that you know
needs to be comforted
then please tell them this story.

I have had found a lot of healing in making the Star dolls.
I hope that they will be the source of comfort and joy
for other people…..

Star Dolls for Comfort

I hope they bring you joy.

hugs and blessings,

Noreen

Update: More from the talented Noreen Crone-Findlay at sister b5media blog – Sacred Dolls and Bears.

Post from: Widows Quest

The Comfort of Tea

Adelle Tilton — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 01:39:40 +0000

That is a quote from one of my favorite movies of all time, “The Shipping News.” It is said twice in the film, both times by one character to another who is going through a traumatic time in their life. “Tea’s a good drink. It’ll keep you going,” when the world is falling apart.

My world isn’t falling apart, at least anymore, and I sincerely hope yours is not either. But I still have times that I need to comfort and nuture myself. Do you know that feeling? Probably you do.

Let’s all nuture ourselves a bit. Tea’s a good drink and it will keep us going. It’s an easy way to indulge, warm up, and do something healthy for yourself. And it is inexpensive! How often can you find something that can do so much for so little. So here is what you need to do:

Buy a really nice teapot. You will be surprised at the difference it will make in serving tea to yourself and to a friend. Make sure it reflects your personality and is not just a decorative teapot. It needs to be made of materials you can drink tea from safely.
Buy some gourmet tea. You can find that at your supermarket or at most coffee shops. Find unique flavors and try some you have never tried before. One I discovered that I loved when I started experimenting was Jasmine Tea; it isn’t for everyone but I adore it.
Have some nice tea cups and don’t use them for coffee, EVER. It will change the flavor of your tea. And to make your tea taste better, use a cup that is basically white. I don’t know why, but the white cup does make a difference.

To make the perfect cup of tea:

Boil some water in a stove top teapot, or an electric water heater. Take it to a full, rolling boil.
Preheat your teapot (the serving one) with the boiling water for a minute or two. Discard that water.
Place the teabags or loose tea (in a ball) in the teapot and add the boiling water. Let it steep for several minutes. Most teas will give you some guidance in that area but don’t let it get too dark.
Remove the teabags or ball, and serve your tea in the pot with cups, preferably on a tray.

And don’t feel guilty about indulging yourself. This is a small, inexpensive luxury and a really nice thing during the cold winter months.

It’s the lttle things that comfort us. And as they say, “Tea’s a good drink, it’ll keep you going.”

Post from: Widows Quest