Opinion Articles

SOUL MATTERS: Memories bring hope
By Benita Tait

August 22nd marked the beginning of Grief Awareness Week. Through this year’s theme, Honouring the Story after Grief and Loss, individuals are encouraged to join with others in bringing to life their stories of loss and grief through the sharing of precious memories. As we Honour the Story together we gift each other with the sacred memories that linger in our hearts and minds and open ourselves up to the hope that emerges as we find ways of fitting our grief experience into our lives.

In schools and community organisations across the Hunter region children, young people and adults share their precious memories through the Spring sessions of the Seasons for Growth program.

Seasons for Growth is an educational, small group, peer support program focusing on understanding and managing change, loss and grief. In acknowledging loss the program seeks to enhance resilience and foster wellbeing. In a safe environment participants are able to access information and develop skills in communication and problem solving. These skills assist participants to deal with current and future change situations.

One secondary student writes... It’s good to come to a Seasons for Growth group because you get to talk to other people about your problems and get advice or even give advice to others.

The ‘seasons’ are a useful metaphor in understanding change and loss and in our personal experience of grief. We all experience the Seasons, but our experiences can be different, therefore we can grieve together even though our losses are individual and unique. The group process helps break the isolation of grieving alone and stories of hope begin to break through.

A primary student writes... [Seasons for Growth] helps you think and talk to people you can trust. I trust these people because they helped me change my life.

Adults also share their experiences. Participants write:

It was most helpful to recognise aspects of grief and loss and to realise that we all suffer grief in some way. We are not alone in this aspect of life. It was good to spend times with others, to share our experiences and information in the group.

Spending time with others, sharing my story and hearing what they had to say was helpful…these words from a participant in Seasons for Growth are important to reflect on during Grief Awareness Week.

This week is also an important time to recognise the work of the Sisters of St Joseph who through Good Grief Ltd, an Australian not-for-profit organisation, commit themselves to relieve suffering and bring hope to people affected by change, loss and grief. Since launching the Seasons for Growth program in 1996, over 120,000 children and young people, as well as thousands of adults, in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland and Peru have found hope through the sharing of grief stories.

The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle supports the training and co-ordination of Seasons for Growth in the Hunter. Detailed information can be found at www.mn.catholic.org.au/diocesan/seasons.htm, phone 4961 0579 or email seasonsforgrowth@mn.catholic.org.au.

Benita Tait co-ordinates Seasons for Growth programs in the Hunter region. This article is submitted by the Churches Media Association www.cmahunter.com.au.

*This article was published in The Newcastle Herald, 23rd August 2010