Navigating Grief Together

💔 **When you lose a parent – or the person who raised you and became your parent in every way that mattered – you lose part of your story.** 💔

No matter how old you are, losing your Mum or Dad can leave you feeling untethered.

It can feel like you've lost the person who knew you before anyone else did. The one who knew your childhood, your milestones, your family history, your funny stories, your difficult moments… the one who was always part of your life, even if your relationship wasn't perfect.

This post is also for anyone who has lost the person who filled that parental role in their life. Whether that was a grandparent, guardian, adoptive parent, foster parent, step-parent or another family member who raised you, the depth of that loss can be every bit as profound.

People often say, "You're an adult," as though that somehow makes it easier.

It doesn't.

Many people describe feeling completely lost. Others say they feel as though they've lost their safe place, or the one person they could always go back to. And when you've lost both parents, there can be an overwhelming feeling of being an orphan, regardless of whether you're 25, 45 or 75.

The world keeps turning, but yours has changed forever.

💙 I'd really like to bring together people who understand that feeling.

Not in a formal meeting.
Not in a counselling session.
Not with any pressure or expectations.

Just a few people who have all experienced the loss of a parent, or the person who filled that role, meeting over a coffee in a relaxed setting somewhere in town.

I'll be there to make the introductions, help everyone feel comfortable, and then simply allow people to chat, listen, laugh if they want to, cry if they need to, or just sit with others who truly "get it."

If, afterwards, you'd like to come along to one of our **Navigating Grief Together** support gatherings, I'd love to welcome you.

If you don't, that's completely okay too.

This coffee get-together is about connection, not commitment.

Sometimes the hardest part of grief isn't the sadness.

It's the loneliness.

It's feeling as though nobody around you really understands what it's like to no longer have the people who brought you into the world—or the person who became that safe place in your life.

If you've lost your mum...
If you've lost your dad...
If you've lost both...
Or if you've lost the person who was your parent in all the ways that truly mattered...
..and you'd like to meet others who genuinely understand, I'd love to hear from you.

Please leave a comment below, send me a private message, email me, or use any of the contact details on the **Navigating Grief Together** page.

You don't have to walk this road on your own anymore. ❤️

**Over 18s only.**

If you've been looking at these posts for a while and wondering whether to come along, this is your gentle reminder that you'll be very welcome.
Harrogate & District Community Action

I know how difficult that first step can feel. Walking into a room full of people you don't know can be daunting, especially when you're carrying the weight of grief. But you won't be expected to share anything you're not ready to, and you certainly won't be judged.

We meet at: Oatlands Community Centre Mount Street HG2 8DQ on a Monday evening at 6.30pm and Bilton Club, Skipton Road, Harrogate. On a Thursday at 12.30.

A group gathering is shown , and if the thought of coming in on your own feels too much, just send me a message or give me a call. I'll happily meet you outside and walk in with you. You will not just be expected to just find a seat. You will receive a warm welcome and will be well looked after.

Navigating Grief Together is a friendly, peer-led bereavement support group for anyone aged 18 or over. Whether your loss is recent or many years ago, you'll find understanding, compassion and people who truly "get it".

Sometimes the hardest part is opening the door for the first time. After that, you don't have to do this on your own.

I hope to welcome you tomorrow.

TOMORROW is our Thursday gathering at Bilton Club, on Skipton Road in Harrogate. 12.30PM until 2.30pm. (Opposite Kings Road). Stay as long as you choose.

It's likely to be a quiet gathering with the hot weather, so perfect if you are worried about coming in to a busy group. Would be a great opportunity to come and have a quiet chat.

I hope some of you who are watching from the sidelines may feel brave enough to come along and take that first step into support from people who truly understand your pain because they are feeling the same.

One of the questions I'm asked most often is, "What can I expect if I come along?"

Navigating Grief Together is a peer-led bereavement support group. It's not counselling, therapy, or a place where you'll be expected to sit in a circle and share your deepest thoughts with a room full of strangers.

In fact, there's no pressure to speak at all.

What you will find is kindness, understanding, a warm welcome, a cuppa, and friendship from people who truly understand grief because they're living with it too.

Many people worry they'll walk into a room full of people crying. The reality is usually very different. More often you'll find people chatting, catching up, sharing stories, supporting one another, smiling, and sometimes even having a laugh together. Of course, there are tears too. Different memories, anniversaries, and life events affect us all in different ways, and when someone needs to cry, that's absolutely okay. That's part of what the group is there for.

The thing about grief is that most of us don't look any different from anyone else. We don't walk around with a label above our heads saying we're grieving. We look like ordinary people because we are ordinary people.

But there are things we understand that others sometimes can't.

We understand what it feels like to reach for the phone to call someone and suddenly remember they're no longer there. We understand getting two mugs out for a cup of tea before realising you only need one. We understand wanting to visit your mum, dad, partner, sibling, child or friend because you need a hug, only to remember that you can't.

Those moments, and a million others, are part of grief.

Each of us is walking our own path, but we don't have to walk it alone. Together we support one another through the difficult days, celebrate the small victories, and remind each other that although grief changes our lives, it doesn't have to define them.

Together, we are stronger..