Summer 2006, Vol 20. No.2
Reflections from the Editor
Carla Blowey, Montrose, CO
Welcome to Living with Loss a magazine of hope and healing for the body, mind, and spirit. Living with Loss Magazine is dedicated to offering bereavement support and resources for anyone grieving the death of a loved one.
Before the days of email, instant messaging, and online chats, Living with Loss, formerly Bereavement Magazine, was created to provide an opportunity for the bereaved to share their stories with one another thereby establishing one of the first national “support groups in print”. I am grateful to Andrea Gambill, the creator of Bereavement Magazine for having the foresight almost twenty years ago to see that writing our stories and poems is a vital and healthy means to expressing our grief. Since then, this magazine has become a valuable cache of resources for the bereaved and those who care for them. I thank Loya Coffin, my predecessor, for her integrity, and commitment in preserving those high standards throughout her tenure.
As the current editor, I am eager to take over the editorial helm and broaden that vision. You will notice that we have expanded our subtitle to convey our new emphasis on traditional and alternative perspectives and resources for healing the body, mind, and spirit in grief.
In my workshops, participants often confront me with narrowed eyes and crossed arms when I talk about healing. “How dare she mention the ‘H’ word!” I understand. In my early years, I would have spit fire and stomped out of the room at the mention of a word that implied I would be cured. What does it really mean to heal?
Webster’s Online Dictionary defines healing as to make sound or whole; to restore to health; to rehabilitate; to cause an undesirable condition to be overcome. The list goes on and yet there does not seem to be a definition sufficient for the newly bereaved or grievers in any phase. Perhaps, it is time we redefine it and create a personal definition. Do we take it literally? Why does it trigger such volatile reactions of resistance in some of us? Where do we hurt the most? Where do we want that healing to occur? In our body? In our mind? In our spirit? Can it occur in one and not the other? However you choose to perceive and define it, remember that the word healing is a verb, and expresses a mode of being—a process that is ongoing, life long. For those of us reconciling the death of a loved one there is no ‘ed’.
Sharing our stories and insights is an opportunity to see our grief journey from a different perspective. I believe that every time we see our grief differently, we are in a mode of healing—letting go of perceptions that inhibit our emotional and spiritual growth. With each new insight, we can tackle the diverse issues that complicate living with loss. Raising questions and uncovering hidden agendas remove the obstacles and clear the path toward creating better health. The key is giving ourselves permission to proceed in our own time. Everything we need to know to survive this journey is within us, and we must trust ourselves to discover it…however long it takes.
With our first issue, you will notice changes in style and format, some new departments and contributors, and the switch from bi-monthly to quarterly. All of these changes are intended to reflect our commitment to bringing you the most current topics and tools in bereavement from the very people who are in tune to our needs—grief educators and presenters, group facilitators and caregivers, authors and writers, and most important the bereaved themselves. Above all, our mission remains the same and that is to offer compassion and hope while living with loss. Every view is unique, every question valid, and with compassion every journey can be honored.
You will find all the contributing writers you have come to trust and love throughout this issue. I am thrilled to have such distinguished professionals on our staff that are passionate about sharing their experiences and knowledge with you. Our veterans Rev. Richard Gilbert, Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Rabbi Earl Grollman, Dr. Robert Thompson, Sue Grant, Rachel Kodanaz, and Nita Aasen, join seven new contributors, Harold Ivan Smith, Mitch Carmody, Sandy Goodman, Harry McDonald, Dr. Shep Jeffreys, Norm Bouchard, and Linda Goldman. You can meet the LWL staff on page 38 to learn more about them and their columns.
I am honored to represent Bereavement Publications, Inc. as Editor-in Chief of Living with Loss. I am excited about our first issue and trust that it will offer you a measure of hope and healing.
Turn on Your Heartlight!
Carla
Copyright 2006
Reprinted with permission from Dreaming Kevin and Bereavement Publications, Inc.