How The Compassionate Friends found us

OK. Today was unusual, although nothing about my blogs chosen subject matter, or path is usual, at least not to myself nor my husband. We are figuring it out as we go. Blindly sometimes and with guidance sometimes. The guidance has come to us through the mail, about four weeks after my daughter's death. We have no idea how it came to us, and no idea who had  it sent to us. But arrive it did, and for that we are most thankful. The packet arrived just as we had started to look for any support groups, realizing we needed help. Desperately needed support that we weren't receiving through the three therapists sessions that we had been too. 

I had leaned on my parents from day one, most specifically my beautiful, wonderful, always there for me whenever I called, Mom. She always was my anchor in whatever storm I found myself in, from when I placed that call from the hospital that night, on throughout her help with calling the different mortuaries to ask about costs and if they could do what my husband and I had decided we wanted for our daughters memorial.  She became my rock through the seemingly endless storm of drowning grief my husband and I found ourselves drowning in. My Dad was also with us, strong and steady, helping with his quiet strength. My grandmother was also with us, she is 92 years young. But my Mom has a heart condition, and I was always worried about all this added stress to her. Not to mention she was grieving also. She had lost her granddaughter.

So this small unassuming envelope was like a life line thrown to a drowning victim.  We read everything in that packet. It came from a bereavement support group called "The Compassionate Friends." All of the information that we read filled us with a small budding fountain of hope. Here was a group that was everything that I had been combing the Internet for. A group that understood the soul deep grief we were drowning in, and wonder of wonders they had a chapter here where we lived. 

Two weeks or so, before the packet arrived, I had found a bereavement group, also located here where we live. I had found them on the Internet, with all the accompanying information of who to contact with emails and phone numbers. I immediately called and  left a message, and sent an email with my contact information. I followed up over the next four days, never receiving any reply. So I then went back to the web page and over the course of two or three more days sent email after email, up the food chain so to speak. The only email that actually went anywhere was the one for donations. I finally got a response telling me that the local chapter had disbanded. I didn't know what to do. And so I started my Internet searches again...until we received the information from "The Compassionate Friends."  The very day I sent an email to the chapter administrator I received an email back within 15 short minutes. I was overjoyed, this kind, compassionate woman gave me hope. Such a small thing, but to a grieving, bewildered mother it was everything.