Compassionate Friends, the national support group for parents who have lost children, recently re-activated its Madison chapter under the sponsorship of Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home of Vevay and Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre of Madison.
Coordinated by Michelle Rucker Finnegan, participants will meet monthly to share feelings and modes of coping, as well as offer support and encouragement to move through another day.
Roger Nay of Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home notes when death reverses the traditional, chronological cycle of life – children before parents – grief can inundate the mother and father.
“Both funeral homes, as part of our grief support programs, are pleased to sponsor this helpful outlet for those experiencing a reversal of the typical life cycle,” Roger Nay said.
With all gatherings open to the public with no charge to participants, the Madison chapter (No. 2139) will meet the third Thursday of each month at North Madison Christian Church at 7 p.m.
Both Roger Nay and Michelle Rucker Finnegan stressed that age of child and/or year of death does not affect involvement.
“Grief is a lifelong journey and everyone must travel it in his own way and at his own speed,” Roger Nay said. “Although the heart never forgets, receiving encouragement and hearing the experience of others can make the passage more bearable. To quote a well-known person, grief is the price we pay for love.”
The first meeting date will be Thursday, March 19th.
Michelle Rucker Finnegan, who lost her only child in a tragic car accident three years ago, recently attended a grief support conference in Indianapolis where national expert Dr. Harold Ivan Smith shared ideas on effective interventions for the healing process.