Expressions of Grief

06/19/2025

If you get a chance to view this, let me know what you think of it.

WATCH NOW: https://youtu.be/JDh8WsAN1kc

We are thrilled to announce that the Camp Widow documentary will begin streaming on PBS’s YouTube channel on June 23rd at 12:00 PM ET - a date chosen with care and intention. When PBS asked us to suggest a meaningful time for release, we chose International Widow’s Day, honoring widowed people around the world by sharing their stories, in their own words.

This 15-minute short film offers a deeply personal look into the heart of the Camp Widow program. Told through the voices of widowed people themselves, this documentary captures the truth of grief, the healing power of community, and the quiet, life-affirming moments when hope begins to return. We can't wait for you to see it. Stay tuned for the link!

Thank you Laura Green, Anna Moot-Levin, and Stray Pony Productions. And to our 2022 San Diego campers for opening your hearts to us, and to your widowed community - THANK YOU!

02/20/2025

Elmo is right. Always celebrate those that you are missing. ❤️

Grieving may never completely end, but working through difficult feelings can get easier with time. Click here for free resources that can help you support c...

02/14/2025

❤ Love Never Ends ❤

Valentine’s Day is a time when love is celebrated—but for those who are grieving, it can be a painful reminder of who is missing. Today, we honor the deep, unbreakable love we still hold for all those we have lost. Love does not disappear with loss; it stays with us, woven into our hearts, our memories, and the moments we carry forward.

We miss them. We long for them. But love—true love—never fades. It lives in the way we speak their names, in the stories we tell, and in the quiet moments where we feel their presence.

So today, whether your heart feels heavy or full, know that your love is eternal, and the bond you share will never be broken. 💞

Thinking of you all with love and understanding. ❤



Artist Credit: Freelance R Parvej ❤

09/13/2024

I highly recommend this event. It’s very beautiful and uplifting.

Offering the community a place for celebrating both memories and life. Helping families create uniqu

08/27/2024

05/31/2024

There's a robin on my fence today,
A feather by my feet
A heart-shaped leaf that blows along
Beside me down the street

Your song played on the radio
This morning in the car
And just last night I could've sworn
I saw a shooting star

The sun and rain are dancing
Making rainbows in the sky
And on the slightest breeze I watch
A butterfly go by

And people might say these are not
The signs I know they are
That it is just coincidence
Your song played in the car

That it is just the sky
And it is just the birds and breeze
A little windy weather
And the nature of the trees

But there is nothing little
About the way they make me feel
The sense of peace they carry
Is both comforting and real

Because it's just one song
And just one butterfly and bird
Just one star and just one leaf
In one enormous world

And so the probability
Of noticing it all
Is close to nearly nothing;
Almost infinitely small

And that is how I know
That when that leaf floats into view
It isn't a coincidence,
But a sign of love from you

So keep on shooting stars to me,
Keep playing me your song
Whilst you dance atop the rainbows
And blow heart-shaped leaves along

Yes, keep on sending signs my love
I'll always look around
For your butterflies on breezes
And your feathers on the ground

~ 'Signs' by Becky Hemsley

~ Art by Gillian Rule Art

My Garden of Grief

05/19/2024

Beautiful…

I can’t say I loved you. I just can’t

Because it makes it sound as if my love is past tense. Gone, finished, ended.

And that is so far from the truth.

My love is not in the past. It will never be gone.

I love you now. Still.

You didn’t take all this love away with you. It stays. It lingers.

Some days it jumps up and hits me in the face just to remind me that it is still here. Still persevering.

Some days it nudges me. Challenges me to keep going. Daring me to find the strength to get through the day.

But mostly, it just resonates inside of me with everything I do. With every step forward and every glance back. Every close of my eyes. Every breath.

My love is not dependent on you being here.

There is nowhere far enough,
and nothing permanent enough
to stop me from loving you.

So I will not say I loved you.

Because I love you.

Still.

*****

Credit Goes To : Becky Hemsley 2023
Beautiful artwork by Ed Perkins

05/07/2024

Cherish those that come into your life at all times.

Can I let you in on a secret about friendships in adulthood?

Sometimes they are really freaking hard.
Like, really freaking hard.

But so often the friends we have in our adult years are the only thing saving us from hitting rock bottom.

The truth is that even the strongest friendship bonds are not forged in stone. No, just as life is ever changing, friendships will always ebb and flow.

Sometimes your closest friends fade away into the background of your life.
Sometimes background friends somehow become part of your inner circle.

Sometimes brand new people enter your life and become the friends you never knew you needed.
Sometimes your heart aches because it misses the friendships that used to be but are no more.

No matter where you are in your adult friendship journey, don't overthink it and don't dwell in the past.

Instead, hold on tight and ride the friendship wave.

Welcome the ones that find their way to you.
Send peace to the ones who fade away.
Love the friends that are there right now.

Illustration: Art to Remember

04/12/2024

Sharing from Benton-Franklin Recovery Coalition.

Every Tuesday, May 7 - July 17, 2024, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, Richland Community Center.

No cost. Sign up here: https://www.509recovery.org/family-support-class-sign-up/

02/26/2024

You're invited to Family Mixer Night 🧡

Here, you will find comfort and community in meeting others who have also lost a loved one, while sharing an evening filled with Bingo, music, and refreshments.

Please RSVP by March 5th by giving us a call at 509-943-1114.

02/18/2024

I'll Meet You There.

On the days I miss you most

I'll close my eyes and sleep.

I'll meet you in my dreams

in a moment we can keep.

I'll meet you with a hug

and with things I want to say.

I'll meet you under the sun

or a different place each day.

I'll meet you by the river

or back at our old home.

And at the times I cannot find you

In my dreams i shall still roam.

I'll meet you in the coffee shop

or at your favourite place.

I don't care just where it is

as long as I see your face.

I'll meet you at a park

so you can watch the children play.

You can take their laughter

back to heaven every day.

I'll meet you on each birthday

we no longer get to share.

I don't care just where it is

but I'll meet you there.

I'll meet you in the sunshine

or in the pouring rain.

I will walk through any storm

just to see you again.

I will meet you in my thoughts

a million times a day,

along with every memory

I am lucky to replay.

Credit to the respective author ✍️
also join weird & Amazing Things

01/28/2024

“If you have been feeling unhappy lately,
and wish to feel happy once more,
take time out today to do one little thing that brings you happiness
and reconnects you with the joy you once felt as a small child.
And in time, should you continue this practice,
the little things will add up
and before you know it,
you will be living a happy life.

For a happy life
is not defined by an absence of struggle or sadness,
but by an appreciation of the little things
that make life more beautiful and worth living.”

Words by Tahlia Hunter

Artwork by Bernie Anderson Artwork