The Courage to Grieve Weekend by Parents of Murdered Children

The Courage to Grieve

You must be a survivor of homicide and 18 years or over!

The National Office of Parents Of Murdered Children is hosting a self–help weekend The Courage to Grieve, to face the many overwhelming and difficult emotions that are the aftermath of murder, often compounded by the intrusion and frustration of the judicial process. Beneath the explosive emotions of rage, hate and revenge lay the more primary feelings of pain, fear and helplessness. Unresolved, these emotions can cause survivors to feel they are losing their minds. The isolation survivors feel from those who will not or cannot deal with the impact of the loss, leave survivors alone with their grief or discourage them from grieving at all. An integral part of this weekend will be an examination of love, tenderness and affection, relaxation techniques and the encouragement to move forward, uncover and experience within a safe environment of others who truly understand. The retreat has been designed to influence the reconstruction of a new life – a life that has a renewed sense of purpose, though forever changed by murder.

The weekend begins with dinner on Friday night. Those attending will meet at the Beth Anna house at the Transfiguration Spirituality Center at 4:00 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m. Every person that attends will have their own room with a twin bed and there are 3 bathrooms that have to be shared with everyone. The Transfiguration Spirituality Center is located in the Glendale-Milford area at 495 Albion Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45246, and the phone number is 513-771-2171. It is a beautiful location with 46 acres. The cost is $154.00 per person and includes meals. Scholarships are available if unable to afford this cost. If you talk to any of those who have attended the weekend retreats, they will tell you, though it is hard, emotional work, it is very beneficial and rewarding. Husbands and wives, siblings, and all family members should attend together and learn that while we each grieve differently and had our own relationship with our loved ones, we all share the pain and the trauma of losing a loved one to murder.