LINK For Those Who Are Grieving: You Aren't Alone
Just wanted to let everyone know about "Grief Beyond Belief", a great support system for Atheists, Humanists, and other Freethinkers who are grieving.
GBB provides a comforting space to grieve that's free of religion, spiritualism, mysticism, and evangelism -- a space in which folks can freely share their sorrow, and can both offer and receive the comfort, experience, support, and rational compassion of fellow freethinkers.
The GBB website has a lengthy library of additional resources and literature that you can access, and links to professional resources such as Secular/Humanist funeral officiants, grief counseling, therapy, and more. They also have two Facebook groups (one public and one private).
I found myself leaning on this group when my Dad passed -- I was surrounded only by those telling me he was in a "better place", and thought I was going to lose my mind... Grief Beyond Belief was my port in the storm, when I didn't know where else to turn for some rational sympathy, real comfort, and like-minded friends to help guide me towards the healing process.
If you're in a similar situation, please know that you have my sympathy on your loss, and that there are others like us out there, going through similar hardships... these are folks who can lend a shoulder and an ear, and offer some heartfelt sympathy and rational kindness on the path toward healing, during this difficult time.
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8 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I just lost an old friend and one -time girl friend and I'm sad. She had cancer and it was difficult for her, but I knew my sadness has more to do with my having lost her and know she's gone forever. I also neither grieved for my parents nor my first wife. Their deaths were a relief, actually, and my first wife was bipolar and had tried suicide three times while we were married. She succeeded about three years after we divorced. I knew she'd 'succeed' one day, and I even knew how I would be be informed. Her sister and her brother-in-law called me one morning and I knew exactly what they would say. I supposed I'd already done what grieving I could, and then I was simply a matter of time. I still love her, and remember fondly the good times we had together, but I guess I'd accepted the inevitable for a while. I'd also seen death several times, and even sat with her mother when she died in the hospital. I'd also just dealt with the death of my father, who'd also taken a long time to die. So neither death was unexpected and actually both were rather anti-climatic. They were also peaceful. Death is a natural state. The process of dying over a long time is what's painful, and it comes as a relief. And as long as I have memories of them, they still live in my mind and my emotions. I've only lost the physical entity, not my feelings about them and my memories of how they enriched my life, which is all we ever have any way.
Ganaimn
Level 5
Apr 28, 2018
1
My youngest brother died two years ago. His wife says repeatedly that she’s not sad because she KNOWS he’s in heaven. I have always thought of religion as a delusion...this confirmed it. I’ll check this group out; thanks for sharing!
CarolinaGirl60
Level 8
Apr 21, 2018
1
I lost my mom in 2015, my dad in 2016, my son in 2017 and my 12 year old dog a few days ago. I am a secular Buddhist and realize that this is part of life. I am grieving though.
Emmagoldman
Level 4
Apr 21, 2018
3
I am sorry for so much recent loss in your life. You have a lot to work through. I hope you are able to take good care of yourself and let others help as much as possible.
I have been grieving the loss of my mom for over 10 years, I will look into it.
Browneyedlady
Level 7
Apr 21, 2018
3
Yeah, I’m in on GBB and PGBB. Fucking sucks to be in that, but at least it’s there.
NothinnXpreVails
Level 8
Apr 20, 2018
2
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