Supporting

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Supporting Each Other in Our Grief
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The International Federation of over 120 LArche
Communities was founded in 1964 by Jean Vanier in
France. In order to further Jean Vaniers vision
of creating compassionate communities where
people of all backgrounds and abilities can
fulfill their full potential and live dignified,
meaningful lives, the first community in Canada
opened in the Toronto area in 1969.
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Today, there are two vibrant LArche communities
in the Toronto area engaging many people of
diverse backgrounds. People with developmental
disabilities and assistants live and share life
together. Part of that life has been to grieve
the loss of friends. The following is some of our
experience and wisdom.
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Dont be afraid to grieve your losses. They are
the signposts of our lives, after which we are
never the same.
Joan Chittister from
Gospel Days
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• What might be helpful before someone dies?
• create a supportive group that will be there for
• the person

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• Work on Life Story Books or other forms of
• life review
• Encourage people to participate in caring for
• the person who is ill.
• -Visit in the hospital or hospice

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Greg visiting his mother while she was in the
hospital before she died
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• Encourage people to express their concerns,
• anxieties or ask questions in an appropriate
• setting.
• Help the person who is ill to give input as to
• what they would want at their funeral
• Help people to find a way to say good bye.

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• What might be helpful at the time of a death?
• Appropriate long term people share the news in
  the
• homes - tell people simply but honestly what
• happened.
• People gather together shortly after to listen
  to the
• news of the death again and to pray, sing,
  tell stories,
• laugh and cry together.

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• Being together.
• Be creative about involving people in the
• wake and funeral

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• How can we support each other after
• someone has died?
• - Visit the grave/celebrate anniversaries
• Give permission to talk about the person who
• has died and to express feelings and allow
  them
• to support you

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• Consider a grief support group if it is
• a major loss
• Continue to name gifts and tell stories
• about the person who died.
• Support the person in learning coping
• strategies that work for them and will
• transfer to other losses.

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Loss can so often be the first step towards
something better either around us or within
us.
Joan Chittister- Gospel Days
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Thank you for listening to us share.