Bereaved Families of Ontario
571 Wharncliffe Road S, Suite 4 N6J 2N6 London, ON, Canada

Keep showing up for yourself.

We’ll be lighting a candle for you, tonight. You are not alone.

We have a few spaces available in our upcoming Perinatal Loss Support Meetings for family members who have been impacted by Pregnancy and Infant Loss. We ask that interested individuals contact us first to arrange for a Welcome Orientation call before registering for a group. You can do so by emailing [email protected] or leaving a message at 519-686-1573 x2 for Programs. These online group gatherings are an opportunity to connect and to share with others who h...ave experienced similar losses. This peer support group, facilitated by our Program Coordinator, and a trained BFO-SW volunteer, will be a loss-specific meeting for adult family members impacted by perinatal loss (miscarriage, tfmr, stillbirth, infant death). Meetings are 90 minutes in length, using the ZOOM platform, and registration is limited to 8 participants. Group guidelines, special considerations, and ZOOM meeting instructions will be provided to registered participants. These groups are offered through our organization - Bereaved Families of Ontario Southwest Region. Our service area includes the City of London as well as Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Kent, Huron, Lambeth and Perth counties. You can learn more about our organization at our website.... https://bfosw.ca/

A lovely quote highlighted by one of our members...

I listened in to this Instagram Live conversation today and thought some of you might find it useful, too. It’s a discussion about grief and grieving with one of the founders of Crying Out Loud in Toronto, and Julia Samuels, British psychotherapist and author of This Too Shall Pass and Grief Works. ~Cheryl

There are a few spots available in the following adult grief support meetings if you’d like to join us this month for some additional support: 1. Perinatal Loss Group 2. Men's Group... To register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/bereaved-families-of-ontario-so *If you are new to BFO-SW (i.e. not a registered member), kindly send a private message here, or email our Program Coordinator, Cheryl, prior to registering (contact info in registration link) #grief #bereavedfamilies #bereavement #perinatalloss #miscarriage #childloss #pregnancyloss #infantloss #tfmr #mensgroup #mensgrief #peersupport #youarenotalone

We’re thinking of those in our community who are grieving the loss of someone close to them as Kwanzaa begins. We offer you the balm of kindness, of understanding, as you mourn. Like the scent of burning candles, grief lingers in the air during the holidays. Embrace the love and light as you grieve. Hold fast to the memories as you move through these days, and keep your loved ones close to your heart, always.... #grief #bereavement #bereavedfamilies #kwanzaa #missing #remembering #love #light #hope #loveneverdies #loveliveson #continuingbonds #lookforthelight #feelthelove #youarenotalone #peersupport #werememberwithyou

It’s always, *always* about the light, and the love that endures. Tend to your heart today. Look for the light in the darkest of corners, in the Christmas night sky. Embrace the love that will never, ever, leave you. ... They will live on in this way. Forever. Thinking of you, on Christmas Day. #grief #bereavement #bereavedfamilies #christmas #missing #remembering #love #light #hope #loveneverdies #loveliveson #continuingbonds #lookforthelight #feelthelove #youarenotalone #werememberwithyou Poem:Bea Lauren Reid

May this week be gentle on your heart, your soul. May you find moments of peace and ease each day. Rest when you can. Remind yourself to breathe...slow it down, take your time.... May light slowly enter in and warm you, may it provide you with hope and encouragement. You’re doing the best you can. We all are. And that’s enough right now. Illustration Holly Astle #wintersolstice #hope #monday #youvegotthis #onedayatatime

Time doesn’t heal everything but time does give us the chance to develop the skills that help us hold and carry pain better. There isn’t a coaching tool, a cognitive strategy, a healer or therapist that can heal grief for us. What we can work on however, through a myriad of healing modalities, is our overall well being.... We can learn what true self care is by relating to ourselves with compassion, by listening and meeting our needs, by setting boundaries and taking radical self responsibility for our physical and emotional health. We can explore our spirituality and learn to cultivate an enduring bond with our person on the other side. We can find community in grief and benefit from the tremendous healing that comes from being seen and heard by another in true empathy. We can allow our proximity to death to shift our perspective on life itself and use our limited time on this earth in a way that feels meaningful and fulfilling. We can use our knowledge of death and dying to re-imagine for ourselves what it means to live fully. We can cultivate resilience and trust in our ability to navigate hardship, headache and future challenges. That is what healing means to me. Healing doesn’t mean that we are rid of grief. Grief and being alive go hand in hand. Healing means that we are able to walk with both grief and joy. With the pain of loss and with gratitude for the gift of being alive today. ~ Empowered Through Grief #grief #griefandloss #hope #healing #lifeafterloss #bereavement #bereavedfamilies #peersupport #community #continuingbonds #youarenotalone #findingmeaning

Tune in today!

Our friends at Bereaved Families of Ontario - Peterborough Region, have extended a kind invitation to our BFO-SW members to join them for this special group focused on Coping with the Holidays, on Tuesday, December 1st. Click here to register: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSeknPlw1oeTa6CDe6/viewform #bereavedfamilies #grief #support #peersupport #bereavement #holidays #copingstrategies #youarenotalone

This is the kind of pain that should never be faced alone. We’re thinking of you. #lifeafterloss #grief #bereavement #bereavedfamilies #peersupport #youarenotalone #compassion #empathy #understanding #hope #comfort #connection #community

I talk a lot about this when I’m helping folks understand the purpose and benefit of mindfulness, of grounding, in grief. It’s a skill that we can continue to hone and practice. Some days it’s easier than others, and that’s okay. That’s why we call it a practice. It’s important to extend compassion and grace to ourselves as we try to find ways of living within grief. Maybe something within this post will resonate for you, too.... ~ Cheryl Remember that calming your anxiety is not about making sure bad things don’t happen. It’s about making THIS MOMENT, this very moment, have a little ease and space around it. It’s about helping your body and your mind calm down, so that you are able to make informed decisions about what you need to do.

Today is #NationalBereavementDay in Canada. If you missed the The #SayingGoodbye Virtual Concert on Sunday night honouring those who have died, and those who are grieving during this pandemic, I’ve included the link for you here. #GriefJourney #grief #youarenotalone #SharedJourney Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association

This Thursday is Children’s Grief Awareness Day. A day when we reflect upon the needs of children and teens following the death of someone close to them. A reminder that children need ongoing support, too. An opportunity to learn ways to support the children and teens in our lives. #childrensgriefawarenessday An invitation from Children's Grief Awareness Day and Highmark Caring Place:... Register NOW for the Highmark Caring Place special NO COST Grief Talks webinar, Can You Hear Us Now? Elevating the Voices of Grieving Children taking place during our Virtual Children’s Grief Awareness Day - Thursday, November 19th from 1-2PM (EST)! During this webinar, they will focus on this special day, observed throughout the nation and in countries around the world a day on which often-unnoticed kids can become heard for a change. A day when all of us can take the time to realize how much it can help grieving children for them to get support. A day when grieving kids can see that the people around them are taking their pain seriously and validating their struggles. REGISTER HERE - http://bit.ly/grieftalkCGAD2020 #childgriefday #childgrief #childrensgrief #grief #children #child #giveback #observe #remember #griefsupport #loss #griefandloss #griefrecovery #griefawareness #childloss #grieving #resilience #death #dying #griefjourney

A reminder that this special online concert starts at 7:00pm if you wanted to tune in this evening.

May the lights of this Diwali enter into your home, gently lighting the darkest of corners, guiding you, lifting you with gentle hope and love. Image: Udayaditya Barua

An interview with the founder of Teenage Grief Sucks website - a peer support site for teens who have suffered the loss of someone close to them. https://www.teenagegriefsucks.com/ #grief #bereavement #teenagers #teens #peer #support #childrensgriefawareness