Grief support groups. Gotta love em’.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have told you I would want to attend a group like this. I’m used to be a pretty shutoff valve kind of guy. Shy, distant, and not very social.
Things have change. My life has changed. I was mentored for the longest time to come out of my shell.
My grief support group happens every Tuesday night at 6:30 local time here in Tempe. It takes place in a room inside the recreation center. It’s kind of funny sometimes because the room we often use, I can see people shooting pool, laughing, and working out on the treadmill or elliptical machine, going up and down.
And here we are, talking about depressing stuff while others live their life.
But I sit there and listen. I sit there and talk. I feel this is my workout. My elliptical machine. I have to use it in order to feel better, keep myself healthy and sane.
This is also where we do “man hugs”.
Each time a visitor arrives, we all have to place $1.00 into the Subway Sandwiches big cup. It costs money to rent the room so the money collected is a needed necessity.
This past Tuesday, there was a “newbie” there.
To protect his identity, I will just say he is weeks out from his wife passing. We go around the room in a clockwise fashion and say our “Challenges” and “Victories” for the week. I was surprised this guy was here. It only happened a few weeks back. It took me almost a year to get to a support group. I give him A LOT of credit.
When he was done saying what he had to say, I looked over to my left, and I just kind of did the limited ”man hug” with a hand going to his upper back and patting it a few times, not saying a word. But I hope with my man hug, he knows he’s not alone. Remember, it is hard to do a man hug when sitting down!
I remember the man that did my first man hug the first time I said something in this group.
Hopefully he will keep going to the groups. I know I will. It keeps me from losing my way…
What’s an activity that keeps you from losing your mind?