By: Sarah Stoehr, GriefShare facilitator

The COVID-19 pandemic has in many ways complicated the grief of those who have experienced the recent death of a loved one.  Some were not able to be present with their loved one at the time of death, others weren’t able to gather for a funeral to receive support from family & friends, and many people are now grieving in isolation due to safer at home guidelines.

The GriefShare organization based in Wake Forest, NC has recognized the realities of grieving in such a time as this.  As a help to GriefShare facilitators and groups across the nation, the organization has produced a series of brief videos (15 minutes or less) on issues that grieving people are facing today.  The four videos with short descriptions include:

1. COVID-19 and Grief:  How do you work through grief during a pandemic? GriefShare experts offer helpful insights on how to cope with current social restrictions and anxieties, and what Scriptures to turn to for guidance.

2. Anxiety and Grief:  What happens when anxiety and grief collide? Hear what experts recommend when this happens. Learn how to respond in a healthy way and move forward, even when it feels impossible.

3. Loneliness in Grief:  Sometimes the loneliness created by the death of a loved one is so intense, it’s hard to know how to handle it. GriefShare expert Dr. Elias Mointinho gives you important insights for dealing with the pain.

4. Searching for a “New Normal” After Loss:  What does life look like after the passing of someone close to you? Life can’t continue as it had, and it can be hard to think of life as ever being “normal” again. Dr. Elias Mointinho helps you think through how to move forward.

These videos are newly released and available to whoever is grieving and would like to view them.  If interested in watching any or all of the videos, you can access them by visiting griefshare.org/my and creating a login.

The next GriefShare 13 week Grief Recovery Support Group will begin on Monday, August 31 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Peace Lutheran Ministries, 300 Lincoln Street in Antigo.  It will meet on Mondays through November 23rd (with exception of meeting on Tuesday Sept 8th due to the Labor Day holiday) in the Fellowship Hall.  Enter through the 8th Avenue Fellowship Hall doors.  GriefShare group facilitators are Pastor Dan Kohn and Sarah Stoehr.

This will be a hybrid group with either in person or Zoom participation.  COVID-19 guidelines will be followed including:  Social distancing (except family members can sit together), disinfecting chairs/tables before & after our meetings, masking optional.

GriefShare is a weekly video seminar featuring some of the nation’s foremost experts on grief recovery topics.  Each seminar is combined with a small group discussion time to allow group participants to talk about the content of the seminar and about how they are dealing with the death of their loved one.

Please call Peace Lutheran Ministries at 715-623-2200 for more information.  This program is FREE and open to anyone from the Antigo area who is experiencing grief & loss.