I am pleased to send along a small token of the gratitude I feel for the
services you provide to members of the community who are experiencing
grief for a lost loved one.
I was very pleased to find that I was eligible to attend
bereavement counseling – at no charge!
As soon as humanly possible, I went to Mary Lisa Grimmer’s group on
Wednesday mornings.
I told the group yesterday morning that these
meetings are the highlight of my week – not because I don’t have other
things to keep me occupied, but because that hour and a half (which
flies by) provides me with an opportunity to share in the experiences of
others who are in the same boat. By contributing my thoughts and
tactics, I get the feeling that I’m helping them; I know that they’re helping
me.
The reason that the group is so helpful is that Mary Lisa has an
incredible talent for guiding the discussion into its most productive
areas. She repeats the rules each week for the benefit of old hands and
new arrivals alike. (I have never witnessed anyone breaking one of her
simple, but essential, rules.) Then, she encourages (but does not compel)
each of us to contribute, which most all of us do. She moderates the
discussion in such a way that all of us get a chance to speak, and
nobody dominates the discussion. Finally, she nearly always has an
insightful and helpful comment to append to each person’s contribution.
I’ve been in the Navy and in the business community for over 35 years, and
I’ve attended hundreds of meetings; none of all those moderators could
hope to hold a candle to Mary Lisa when it comes to professionalism
and/or excellence.
Whatever you pay her isn’t nearly enough.
With that in mind, despite the fact that the service is free, I intend to be
a supporter of Hope Hospice for as long as I’m able to do so.
-David B.
