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T HIS M ONTH :
F EBRUARY 2015 I SSUE
This Month: Panel Discussion; Attending a National Conference
Newsletter Editor: Crys Kelly
17 TH A NNUAL —F IREMEN ’ S 5K
The 17th annual Firemen’s
5K and One Mile Fun Run
will be held at 8 A.M. on
Saturday, May 23th at Arborlawn United Methodist
Church, 5001 Briarhaven,
Fort Worth.
All proceeds benefit the
Fort Worth Chapter of The
Compassionate Friends,
The WARM Place, and The
Firemen’s 5K Scholarship
Fund.
This is a major source of
funds for our chapter.
tribute water to the runners. If you can commit to
a Thursday evening meeting
and the Saturday morning of
Memorial Day weekend,
please call Lori Carver at
817-819-5530 or e-mail
[email protected].
If you or your company
would like to sponsor the
race, please see the form at
the back of this newsletter.
Sponsor donations are needed by April 1st.
Volunteers are also needed to pass out packets,
point out the route or dis-
We invite you to join us and
walk or run in memory of
your loved one. Online
registration is now available
at www.athlete360.com .
Registration fees are $20,
until May 15th, $25 after
May 15th, and $30 on race
day.
G ROUNDHOG D AY
According to folklore, every year on this day, a
groundhog
named
Punxsutawney Phil, in a
little town by the same
name in Pennsylvania,
wakes from his winter
slumber, rises from his cozy
little burrow and gazes
about at his surroundings.
Legend has it that if he
doesn’t see his shadow, he
shakes himself off and ventures out to welcome an
early spring. If he sees his
shadow, he becomes frightened and quickly retreats
down his hole to safety
where he goes back to sleep
and the winter weather
continues.
This
year
Punxsutawney Phil saw his
shadow, thus predicting
another six more weeks of
winter. When we lose a
child, we seem to linger in a
perpetual winter. For a very
long time we see our world
as a barren winter landscape. The warmth and love
that our children brought to
our hearts has been ripped
away by their death and
we’re left with a cold aching void. We are a little like
Punxsutawney Phil. We
might be afraid to come to
our first Compassionate
Friends meeting. We may
want to hide from the
world and stay in our burrows. But if we are very
© 2014 Compassionate Friends Fort Worth - All rights reserved
brave and come to a meeting, we will meet others
who have survived the long
cold winter of their hearts.
We gather to share our stories, support each other,
love each other and very
slowly we begin to and rejoin life as best we can. Remember, we need not walk
alone.
Janet G. Reyes
TCF/AAC
Steering Committee
Chapter Leaders
Crys Kelly (817) 875-7490
Jaye Sanford (817) 475-9363
Contact via Chapter Email
[email protected]
Treasurer
Steve Roberts (817) 914-8689
[email protected]
Hospitality
Marty Akeman (817) 636-5645
Christine Anderson
(817) 300-6196
Lydia Moore (817) 829-3801
Newsletter
Crys Kelly (817) 875-7490
[email protected]
Librarian
Liz Hutchison (817) 726-3999
Welcome Bags
Janet DuPertuis
Committee Members
Jeff Abodeely
Jeff & Marty Martin
Jerry & Sharon Austry
Charles & Genie Dean
“When you are sorrowful
look again in your heart
and you shall see that in
truth you are weeping for
that which has been your
delight”.
Kahlil Gibran
Monthly Newsletter
Newsletters are emailed to
those on our recipient list and
available online the 1st of every
month on our website.
Need to Talk?
Listed below are parents,
grandparents and siblings
who have walked where
you are today.
If you are having a difficult
day and just want to talk,
please call.
Addiction
Helen (817) 431-6964
Auto
Jeff & Marty (817) 4759141
Grandchild/
Multiple Loss
Lydia (817) 829-3801
Drowning
Debi (817) 270-3275
Drowning (Young Child)
Stacy (817) 656-7540
or (817) 845-3433
Long Term Illness
Marty (817) 636-5645
Homicide (Only Child)
Steve (817) 914-8689
[email protected]
Suicide (Only Child)
Joy (817) 453-2227
Suicide
Glinda (817) 485-3772
Siblings
Cheryl (817) 624-7043
B REATH
“I was dreaming, but I felt awake. Everything around me was darker and deeper
than night. I had no eyes to open. Hannah was with me. I could feel her weight
on my lap and the softness of her hair on
the top of her head where I rested my
chin. She was leaning against me, or perhaps I was leaning against her. I held her
quietly, breathing her in.
My eyes opened. I could barely see the
outlines of furniture in the room. Had I
been awake or asleep? I wasn’t sure. I
could feel Hannah’s presence, lingering,
as if she had just stepped away for a moment. I closed my eyes, knowing she had
been here, greedy for her to return.”
The foregoing is taken from the book
Hannah’s Gift. Her mother, Maria
Housden recounted sensing Hannah’s
presence in a dream after her death to let
her know she was very much alive, just on
a different spiritual level.
Hannah’s Gift
Lessons from a Life Fully Lived
Maria Housden
L IFE
LESSONS IN
M OVIES
Each one of us will at one time in our
lives look upon a loved one who is in
need and ask the same question: We are
[email protected]
willing to help, Lord, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true we can
Middle of the
seldom help those closest to us. Either we
don't know what part of ourselves to give
night calls
or, more often than not, the part we have
Liz (817) 726-3999
to give is not wanted. And so it is with
“A thousand words can't bring those we live with and should know who
elude us. But we can still love them - we
you back
I know because I tried
can love completely without complete
And neither can a million tears understanding.
N ATIONAL
C ONFERENCE
National conferences have become an annual
pilgrimage for so many who attend just
once. This meeting will be a panel of parents, grandparents and siblings who will
share the fulfillment of the TCF conference
experiences.
This year, Dallas will be the site of the 38th
TCF National Conference on July 10-12,
2015. "Hope Shines Bright ... Deep in the
Heart" is the theme of this year's event,
which promises more of last year's great national Conference experience. The 2015
Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency
Downtown Dallas. We'll keep you updated
with details here, on the national website as
well as on our TCF/USA Facebook Page and
elsewhere as they become available. Plan to
come and be a part of this heartwarming experience.
The Hyatt Regency Downtown Dallas, 300
Reunion Blvd., Dallas, TX 75207, is now
accepting reservations for TCF's National
Conference. To make your reservation,
please access the following link, which will
take you directly to TCF's reservation portal
on the Hyatt's website. Conference attendees
are receiving a discounted room rate of $129.
We anticipate a large attendance for the conference, so we encourage you to make your
reservation as soon as it is convenient for
you.
I know because I cried”.
Sarah Ratliff
A River Runs Through It
TCF National Office — The Compassionate Friends . P. O. Box 3696 . Oak Brook, IL
60522-3696
Fax: (630) 990-0246 Call toll-free: (877) 969-0010 9 A.M. - 5 P.M., CST, Monday-Friday.
Email:[email protected] Website:www.compassionatefriends.org The website contains links to TCF’s national and regional conferences, brochures, e-newsletter, online support community, We Need Not Walk Alone magazine, “Healing the Grieving Heart” and “The Open to
Hope Show” radio program archives, webinars, chapter websites, and other resources. Regional Coordinator: Bill Campbell 972-935-0673 [email protected]
Facebook: The Compassionate Friends/USA
In Spanish: Los Amigos Compasivos/USA
Twitter: Text follow TCFofUSA to 40404
T HE C ORD
R EFLECTIONS
We are connected,
My child and I,
By n invisible cord
Not seen by the eye.
With the death of my sister came some painful
realizations: that life isn’t always fair or
predictable; that sometimes even my best still
isn’t good enough; and that from the day of
her death, the happy events in my life would
always be tinged with sadness.
It’s not like the cord
That connects us ‘til birth
This cord can’t be seen
By any on Earth.
This cord does its work
Right from the start.
It binds us together
Attached to my heart.
I know that it’s there
Though no one can see
The invisible cord
From my child to me.
The strength of this cord
Is hard to describe.
It can’t be destroyed,
It can’t be denied.
It’s stronger than any cord
Man could create
It withstands the test,
And can hold any weight.
Though you are gone,
And not here with me,
The cord is still there
But no one can see.
It pulls at my heart
I am bruised, I am sore,
But this cord is my lifeline
As never before.
I am thankful that God
Connects us this way
A mother and child
Death can’t take it away!
“As long as I can I will
look at this world for
both of us. As long as I
can I will laugh with
the birds, I will sing
with the flowers, I will
pray to the stars, for
both of us”.
Sascha Wagner
Despite the pain and loss, death has also left
me with some valuable lessons and precious
gifts. As a result of my sister’s death, I have a
great appreciation of life and a great
compassion for those who hurt. I have learned
to be a survivor and to have a successful career
and productive life in the face of tremendous
grief and loss. I have been gifted with good
friends and special people to help me through
the rough times. But most of all I have the gift
of time—time to heal and time to replace the
painful memories of death with the priceless
memories of my sister’s life.
Cathy Schanberger
B IRTHDAY T ABLE
February birthdays will be celebrated at this
month’s meeting. If
your child, grandchild, or sibling’s
birthday is in January, please feel free
to bring a photo or
memento of them
for the birthday
table. It is also a
great time to bring
their favorite food or snack to share with the
group on the refreshment table.
W ANT A B UT TON ?
Photo buttons are a perfect way to share your
child, grandchild or sibling with others at
monthly meetings. If you would like to have
one, simply bring a photo to any of our monthly
chapter meetings and we
can make one for you.
There is no cost. Keep
in mind that the button
is about 2 1/4 inches in
diameter, so the picture needs to fit inside that
area and the actual photo is used, so make sure
it’s one we can cut into a small circle.
LOVE GIFTS
In Memory of
Beth Alden
DuPertuis
By Janet S. DuPertuis
Love Gifts are a
thoughtful way to remember our precious
children and can be made
ONLINE on our website
or by sending your donation to: Steve Roberts
P.O. Box 202654
Arlington, 76006
A Journey of
Hope
Hope is not an easy word
for Grievers.
But we, more than most
others, need to understand
what hope can mean for us.
Hope means finding the
Strength
to live with grief.
Hope means nurturing
with Grace
The joy of remembrance.
Hope Means embracing
with tenderness and pride
our own life and the gifts
left to us by those we have
lost.
Visit our website for
more Online Grief
Resources
2301 N. Sylvania Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76111
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
www.TheCompassionateFriendsFW.com
February 2015
Fort Worth Chapter Meeting
We meet the 2nd Tuesday
of every month.
Meeting Time: 7 P.M.—9 P.M.
This Month’s Program
Panel discussion on attending a National Conference
Refreshments
Please feel free to bring refreshments to share.
~ Paper Goods and Drinks are provided ~
A RBORLAWN U NITED M ETHODIST
C HURCH - R OOM 271
5001 Briarhaven Rd., Fort Worth
A Special Message
To those of you who are newly bereaved and receiving our newsletter for the first time, we warmly welcome you to The Compassionate Friends.
We are a self-help organization of parents, grandparents and adult siblings who have experienced
the death of a loved one. We offer understanding
and support through our monthly meetings, a
lending library, support materials and loving telephone listeners. Please do not be afraid to come to
a gathering.
Every other person in the room has lost a child,
grandchild or sibling. They come because they feel
the need to be with someone else who understands. We know it takes courage to attend that
first gathering, but those who do come find an
atmosphere of understanding from others who
have experienced
the grief that you have now. Nothing is asked of
you. There are no dues or fees and you do not
have to speak. There is a special feeling at meetings of The Compassionate Friends.
Benefitting
The Firemen’s 5K (501c3)
Scholarship Fund
Honoring fallen Fort
Worth Firefighters
Phillip Dean and
Brian Collins
and
The Compassionate Friends
and The WARM Place
grief support centers for families who have
experienced the death of someone they love
•$1,000 Sponsor - Name on race course sign, t-shirt and race sponsorship banner
•$500 Sponsor - Name on t-shirt and race course sign
•$250 Sponsor - Name on race course sign (18”x24”)
• In Kind Donation of $500 or more – Name on t-shirt
• Additional Sponsorships:
• Finish or Start line race banner 4’x 12’ (limited availability) - $750
• Finish or Start line race banner 4’x 4’ (limited availability) - $400
Donations needed by April 1, 2015
Proceeds benefit The Firemen’s 5K Scholarship Fund, The Compassionate Friends & The WARM Place
Please call Lori Carver at 817-819-5530 with questions or e-mail [email protected]
Race date – May 23, 2015
Please return completed second page with donation
Firemen’s 5K– 501c3
Name:
Amount of Donation:
Name as it should appear:
If name is to appear on t-shirt or race banner,
please email logo to [email protected]
Make checks payable to Firemen’s 5K & mail to P.O. Box 10249, Fort Worth, TX 76114
Firemen’s 5K – 501c3