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Dear Friend,

We are so very glad that you have found us . Welcome to GRASP.

It is our sincere wish that we may provide comfort and healing in whichever way possible in your search.

Feel free to contact us on a personal level or to make suggestions to improve our site.

Sharing and caring for one another is why we offer Grief Recovery.

In this menu, you'll find articles we have read and/or received from other sources as well as offering insights of our own.

First, we would like to express our sincerest, deepest sympathy to everyone who has experienced the passing of a beloved person because of substances of any kind.

This is the most traumatic of tragedies which, no doubt, has been preceded by weeks, months or, perhaps, years of emotional heartbreaking turmoil when you have searched, loved and tried to understand and help your special one.

There may have been many times when you have felt absolutely alone in your despair as you struggled through the best way you could… wondering perhaps if you would be able to "weather the storm?"

THEN---- NOW.

You are not alone. There are many, many around you who share similar experiences and are waiting to assist in any way to lovingly, gently bring you through these times.

One thing for sure, we will never stop loving these souls who have departed. And they continue to be part of our lives as we think of them, share memories of them with others as well as ourselves.

These are our very special people who also came into our lives to be cherished and will have left us with some special gifts of learning.

We each have our own unique circumstances and yet we are brought together through a common thread... a bond .

No, you are not alone. We are here.

The following was inspired by an Eskimo legend:

"Perhaps they are not the stars
but rather openings in Heaven
where the love of our lost ones
pours through and shines down upon us
to let us know they are happy."

To hope, to know, to feel that our children, our brothers or sisters, our partners and friends are at last at peace from their torments and are truly well and happy. Isn't this what we wish for them?

Happiness and wellness be with each and every one of us.
If you haven't already looked into the menu item Those Special Days ,we urge you to do so since this will suggest solutions to various seasonal holidays and celebrations throughout the year and also birthdays.

Recently, I discovered a poem which I found to be very inspirational in a practical way to help all of us in bereavement and felt that I must share it with you. There wasn't a title or author.

You can shed tears

that she/he is gone

Or you can smile

because she/he has lived.

You can close your

eyes and pray that

she/he will come back

Or you can open your eyes

and see all that

she/he has left.

Your heart can be

empty because you

can't see her

Or you can be full of

the love that you

shared.

You can turn your

back on tomorrow

and live yesterday

Or you can be happy

for tomorrow because

of yesterday.

You can remember

her/him and only that she/he

is gone

Or you can cherish

her/his memory and let it

live on

You can cry and close

your mind, be empty

and turn your back

Or you can do what

she/he would want:

smile. open your

eyes, love and go on.

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Dos and Don'ts

For Friends of Bereaved Parents

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember how I laughed,

Remember how I loved.

Use me as the reason you embrace life,

Not the reason you don't.

                                   ~~~author unknown

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't Tell Me

Please don't tell me you know how I feel,
Unless you have lost your child too,
Please don't tell me my broken heart will heal,
Because that is just not true,
Please don't tell me my son is in a better place,
Though it is true, I want him here with me,
Don't tell me someday I'll hear his voice, see his face,
Beyond today I cannot see,
Don?t tell me it is time to move on,
Because I cannot,
Don't tell me to face the fact he is gone,
Because denial is something I can't stop,
Don't tell me to be thankful for the time I had,
Because I wanted more,
Don't tell me when I am my old self you will be glad,
I'll never be as I was before,
What you can tell me is you will be here for me,
That you will listen when I talk of my child,
You can share with me my precious memories,
You can even cry with me for a while,
And please don't hesitate to say his name,
Because it is something I long to hear everyday,
Friend please realize that I can never be the same,
But if you stand by me, you may like the new person I become someday.

Judi Walker
(In Memory of Shane)
Copyright 1998