Camp Widow 2010

I am looking forward to being part of a unique experience in San Diego this summer, where I will have the pleasure of speaking about grief and loss to an audience who are new to the game, and to some who are veterans. Last year, the first year of Camp Widow, put on by Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation, I had no real expectations, other than to assume there would be plenty of kleenex boxes being passed around roomfuls of drawn, sad faces. Nothing could have prepared me for the rowdy group in the stands watching the big Pops concert in the park, singing, dancing, the recipients of evil glares from the little old ladies sitting in front of us. I was also unprepared for the instant camaraderie I experienced meeting several other grief/loss/widow/widower bloggers whom I had gotten to know virtually over the course of time I have been writing my own blog. This roomful of bereaved was a powerful group. The air tingled with what I can only describe as excitement as all these people (and yes, I will admit that most were women - the men don't know what they are missing!) all began to realize that they were not alone, not crazy and didn't have to commit to a life of grim faces and wet tissues. It was possible to see moments of someone's face light up with a new way of looking at grief, which is what Camp Widow is all about, is what Michele Hernandez, the dynamo who organizes the event is all about.This year, I have been invited as a guest speaker and I look forward to helping others to see some of the amazing things that grief can wake you up to, if you care to look.I hope to see you there...