The first Thursday of every month, the Gang of Six gets together to help each other heal. The Gang of Six (for those who don’t know), is a group of people that I know who have lost a loved one in the last year or two. We all met for the first time earlier this year at the grief support group facilitated by the hospice where my brother passed away. Our formal group ended a while back but we decided that we needed to keep it going … for ourselves and each other. They are a wonderful bunch of people who, by just being there, are very supportive. I am the only one in the group who lost a sibling; most of them lost a spouse. One lost his spouse and his daughter. Most of their loved ones succumbed to some kind of cancer. One left because of a brain aneurism that the doctors didn’t test for. Is she bitter? No. Of course she still wishes she had her husband but knows that nothing will bring him back. We can get together now and talk about our dearly departed with love, acceptance and sometimes a great sense of humor.
As I sat with the group today and felt the interaction and the real caring within us, I felt such gratitude … hard to put into words. And now that Christmas is just around the corner, I wish them all the love of the season and way beyond.
When I did this collage of my brother, I had no idea the impact it would have on others who visit my websites. I have received many comments from people who say what a great tribute it is. Well, for me, it portrays the essence of him throughout his life. Photographs do that. When you look at your photos, you can instantly remember where you were and what was going on when they were taken. When I do a collage for someone, I feel like I get to know that person by just looking at and arranging their photographs into something they will love.
Life is so short … Namaste!
Eyes to See 