Jessie Usher, Dolores Biondo, Marylynn Derich, Barbara Moore, Karen Lee and Lisa Pacheco participate in the Heart of Hospice’s first Community Grief and Loss Workshop.
Jessie Usher, Dolores Biondo, Marylynn Derich, Barbara Moore, Karen Lee and Lisa Pacheco participate in the Heart of Hospice’s first Community Grief and Loss Workshop.
On July 29, the Heart of Hospice Foundation sponsored their first Community Grief and Loss Workshop using SoulCollage. Clyde Sanda was the facilitator and Karen Lee assisted.
“SoulCollage is a powerful, creative process using nothing more than personal photos and magazine images, along with your own imagination and intuition, to create insightful 5-inch by 8-inch collages that have special meaning for you,” explained Lee. “These cards can actually help transform your life. In grief work, we use these collages to honor our losses.”
Six local residents participated in the first workshop. One made a card to honor her deceased husband, who died over three years ago. Others honored their grandfather, aunt, mother, and brother. Yet another honored her loss of mobility.
“All the cards were beautiful and all had special meaning,” said Lee. “But the real healing begins when everyone shares the story behind their collage. We encourage participants to share, but it’s always their choice. One shared about her husband’s early life, how they met, and how they ended up in Hood River. Another (shared) about how her grandfather was the patriarch of the family, (and) another how her aunt loved the tropics and made her house into a tropical paradise. Another (shared) about how her mother loved her roses, and the brother who loved to travel in his motorhome. These stories almost always include laughter and tears, and they remind us of the love we have for those who have died.”
The Heart of Hospice Foundation will be sponsoring another free Community Grief and Loss Workshop on Aug. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon at Heart of Hospice. There is no charge for attending and everyone in the community is invited. However, space is limited. For more information or to reserve a place, contact Sanda at 541-490-3593 or sandpiper921@yahoo.com.
