Emotional processes…

Welcome, today is a special day for reflection, I am so glad you dropped by for our time of sharing together…

I have been given a beautiful gift, by my daughter, personally carried all the way from the Palace of Versailles in France. It is a tea dedicated & blended in Marie Antoinette’s honor, Queen of France 1755 – 1793. It is a black Ceylon tea flavored with apples & roses picked from the King’s Kitchen Gardens in Versailles!

As I open the pretty pink & gold box, I am meet with the beautiful sweet fragrance of freshly cut roses.  I brew the tea, I have my regal setting ready, used for special occasions, a treat of Gf double choc brownie with fresh strawberries awaits.

I lift the cup to have the first taste of this royal blend, the brewed fragrance is now a mixture of sweet apples & roses, melding with the aromas of chocolate & strawberries.

This is a delightful sensory experience, the tea is very delicate & tasty, a very smooth blend, the combination is so pleasing… I pour a second cup, while I enjoy my treat in purposeful reflection…

This special occasion is my son Benjamin’s birthday…however he won’t be joining me to celebrate today, as it is also the anniversary of his passing. You see he was born sleeping (stillborn) many years ago.

I no longer grieve a life not lived, though I do find myself quite thoughtful at this time, each year…I like to remember him in contemplative reflection, with a special cup of tea & a tasty treat…it is healing.

You see you never get ‘over’ the loss of a child or loved one but rather you come to a place of acceptance in processing your grief & live in that acceptance…accepting that he lived within, he died & I am absolutely assured of seeing him again through the promises of being born anew of the Spirit.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of sharing my story many times, to many people, in many different places both as a guest speaker & face to face. However, I had not written about my experience for publishing… in 2017 I launched my second book;

“I go to prepare a place for you….” *

This is the story of my son Benjamin & my daughter Candy who were both born sleeping…within a year of each other including my near death experience in giving birth to Benjamin.

The book was written in their memory to honor them. Just as The Marie Antoinette tea has been specifically blended in her honor & is a delicate blend for a delicious tea experience.

This exercise was very therapeutic, being able to put these important experiences of my life & the lives of my family into a book that blended writing, publishing & hand compilation was a very pleasant healing experience.

It is healthy to grieve a life lost & acknowledge that they are gone from your life, it is okay to honor & remember them, you may like to visit the grave with fresh flowers or be in quiet reflection in the time you set aside. You may find writing your story therapeutic, this is a healthy way of processing grief.

These activities remember & honor those who have gone before us & help our own grief to heal.

However, being stuck in any particular area of grief ~ eg. anger, deep sadness, fear of the future without your loved one, blame, denial, regret, or an overwhelming feeling of loneliness, for a prolonged period of time, not processing your grief, isn’t healthy.

If you find that this has happened to you, please seek professional help…so you can live the abundant life you were created for & your loved one desired you to live…

Well my brownie & strawberries were delicious, our time of reflection together has now come to its end…

Until next time dear friend…

Jennifer

 

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* John 14:2

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