National Conference On Widowhood

[MartyT]

This message comes to us via e-mail from Michele Neff Hernandez, Founder, WidowsBond.com and Director, Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation:

October 15, 2008

Dear friends of Widowsbond.com,

Warm Autumn greetings to all of you. I hope this note finds you well, and that you are enjoying the beginning of the fall season.

Thank you for your on-going support of WidowsBond.com and of the Widow Match program. Your encouragement, words of gratitude, and willingness to share your stories have been a continual blessing to me ,and to the over 700 women who have joined our group over the last nine months. I truly appreciate the care and concern that you have offered each other~please do continue to respond to people who reach out to you with the same level of compassion and understanding that has been demonstrated so far, there is no limit to the good this kind of outreach can do.

As a direct result of the need I have witnessed through the WidowsBond site, I am excited to announce that our recently founded 501©3 organization, the Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation, will be sponsoring the First Annual National Conference on Widowhood July 17-19, 2009.

This weekend long event will focus on providing tools and inspiration for re-building your life after the loss of a spouse. We have experts from all over the country covering a wide range of relevant topics, including: helping grieving children cope with loss, journaling as a path to personal growth, healing through movement, a panel addressing the issue of global widowhood, the screening of the film "American Widow Project", coaching sessions designed to assist women in identifying a new life path, a look at how meditation can be a vital part of your on-going healing process, on-line dating 101-do's and don'ts for the dating world, practical ways to welcome another man into your life, a look at the challenges facing widows of suicide, help for coping with the violent death of a loved one, real-life widow humor, financial planning, trust formations, a panel of widowed authors will share their writing experiences....and many more. There will be thirty-two sessions to choose from, and a variety of resources available at our lunchtime expo.

Not only will we be providing excellent information in the various workshops, but a weekend full of fun events, too. Friday night will kick off with an outdoor concert and fireworks show with proceeds benefiting global widowhood initiatives. Saturday evening we will host a semi-formal banquet, and will be presenting awards honoring women who have made significant contributions to the cause of widowhood...a chance to dress up and chat the night away! The grand finale will be the first annual Widow Dash 5K Run/Walk...we will encourage you to, "Run for YOUR life!" Proceeds from the race will benefit widows here in the US who are experiencing severe financial hardships as a result of their husband's death. Add to all this the opportunity to meet your match at our Friday afternoon reception, the chance to experience a sense of belonging with hundreds of people who have also walked this grief journey, some hard-to-come-by time to focus on YOU....and an amazing weekend is a guarantee.

For more information on registration, speakers, accommodations, sponsorship opportunities, and event details...please visit National Conference on Widowhood. This site is still a work in progress so check back often. New information is coming in every week, and exciting additions will be added monthly.

Due to the high level of interest in this event, we do expect to reach maximum capacity for the venue. The conference is open to widows, widowers, their current partners, support crews, family members, bereavement teams, grief counselors, members of the clergy, and anyone who has a heart for grieving individuals. Please sign-up early to avoid missing out on this inspiring weekend, and I would appreciate it if you would share the news with anyone you know who could benefit from this community project.

I would love to see you all there!

Blessings,

Michele

Michele Neff Hernandez

Founder, WidowsBond.com

Director, Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation

www.widowsbond.com

www.sslf.org

[mlg]

It's funny that you posted this because someone had just told me about the widowsbond website and I had gotten on the site this weekend

[MartyT]

An update from Michele Neff Hernandez, Founder, Widowsbond.com and Director, Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation:

The Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation team is approaching 2009 with eager anticipation…we can’t wait to see you at the first EVER National Conference on Widowhood. We have an exceptional line up of speakers who will be speaking about topics YOU care about. Visit http://www.sslf.org/c_speakers.html for information on our fantastic speakers’ panel.

We have partnered with the San Diego Symphony to bring you a “Musical Evening Under the Stars,” featuring the fabulous San Diego Symphony, who will be joined by a variety of musical guests. Proceeds will benefit a unique initiative in support of improving the condition of global widowhood…and your ticket to this amazing evening is included with your registration (for as long as tickets last)!

Professionals in need of continuing education credit can join us for our Pre-Conference event scheduled for Friday, July 17th. We welcome Tom Golden LCSW, Dr. Michele Reiss Ph D, Pamela Gabbay MA FT, and Carla Fine, author of No Time to Say Goodbye; Surviving the Suicide of Someone You Love. Each workshop presentation will be three hours in length, and our bookstore, run by the Centering Corporation, will be available during the lunch break.Contact info@sslf.org for workshop topics and registration information.

You don’t want to miss this first of its kind event. Whether you are a new widow/ widower, a widow/widower who has walked a bit further down the path, a widow/widower who has remarried and is living a new and full life, a support person of a widow or widower, a bereavement professional, or a member of the clergy…we have something at this conference that will touch and inspire you. Together our energy can make a positive change in the world. Join us as we put one foot in front of the other toward the goal of living life with joy and hope.

[MartyT]

The latest update from Michele Neff Hernandez:

YOU ARE INVITED

to attend the first EVER National Conference on Widowhood July 17-19, 2009.

This conference to be held at the beautiful San Diego Hotel and Marina in downtown San Diego, California is being held for YOU...widows, widowers, bereavement professionals, supportive friends and family, clergy of any denomination, and anyone who has been touched by the journey of grief.

Why a party invitation? Because we deserve a celebration of all we have accomplished. We have done what many of us believed to be impossible...surviving the loss of our spouse. Join us in celebrating our courage, creating our future, and most importantly in building a support network for those who will come after us. Death is not reduced to tragedy alone if we can find a way to rise from the ashes. Come and show us the ways in which you have risen from your own personal loss, and give courage and hope to those who need to see that loving life again truly is possible.

If you sign up with a friend you both save 25%! Travel togther, laugh together, and save money together!! Use the promotion code: SSLF81793XX5 when registering at www.sslf.org. Together we can make a difference, sign up today!