Embrace Grief!

I head to San Diego on Friday to attend Camp Widow, to do my talk about finding those amazing nuggets of gold within that swampy mire that we call grief. I have adopted a well known behavioral label, Post Traumatic Growth, which I like for its play on words and its immediate message. It's has a positive spin and puts to bed some well known grief myths:- Grief doesn't always suck (OK, I made that one up)- Marriage ends with the loss of a child- There is a set time frame for grieving- There are linear stages of grief- That grieving is a mental illness- The goal of grieving is to recover from it- Bonds to the deceased are broken when the griever laughs, smiles, loves, makes love, ______(add your own).I love dispelling myths. In fact, the conference is all about dispelling myths. Camp Widow is about having fun. About learning that there is more to grief than Hallmark and Kleenex and its a place that safe enough to be laughing one minute and crying the next. But honestly there is way more laughing than crying. I look forward to catching up with my fellow widda bloggers (and one widderer - sorry Matt).In my workshop I'll be talking about people who are resilient:

These people have emerged from their trials fundamentally changed and enriched – spiritually enlightened, wiser, more compassionate and confident in their abilities to withstand whatever hardships and heartbreaks life will deliver.

Sound like anybody you know? See you all in San Diego!Embrace Grief people!