| Take Vitamin-F for Grief Recovery © Betty Sue Eaton |
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| A Christian Grief Ministry |
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| One of God’s most wonderful gifts to us is that of friendships. All through our lives we build close relationships with friends and neighbors and hold them close around us through good times and bad times. We share the joys of births and birthdays, graduations and weddings, school reunions and family reunions and remember them often and forever.
Throughout my life, I can’t count the number of times I have run next door to share a wonderful recipe that my family relished and wanted to share it with my buddy who loves to cook as well. How many times after attending a community picnic have I sat and remembered with pleasure the antics of children exploring the outdoors with newly found thrills of nature! The anticipation of seeing again those people who shared elementary and high school with me and recounting the fun we had growing up together is a lifelong treasure. One of the fondest memories I have of friends is seeing them at my daughter’s wedding and holding again the warmth of their best wishes for both her and me alike. Once, I flew to Saudi Arabia to spend three weeks with my daughter and her family. My best friend and college mate was living in Cyprus then; and as my plans developed, she said she would meet me in Bahrain and spend four days with me there. We had a fantastic time together sharing twenty years of lives apart. What a wonderful gift she gave me in doing that. I was the matron of honor at her wedding and even made her wedding dress for the occasion! I know that I can still go to her with my innermost thoughts for affirmation and comfort as she can with me today years later. Another friend loved me enough to encourage my long struggle to earn a Bachelor’s degree from the university, which took almost 7 years. During those years, I knew that any time I was having doubts and difficulty in staying the course, she was there to remind me that if I kept faith that God was with me, and that she was there as well for anything I might need, including a place to stay when funds were short, I would succeed. Since that time, my Cyprus friend has moved to Mexico – still far away from me, and my dear friend who encouraged me through college has gone home to be with God in heaven. But their love is still with me even today. Now I can’t run next door to share a recipe with either of them, but new friends have entered my life and the sharing now includes new topics that bring me as much joy as they did. Most importantly, when I have lost two of my children, I knew that I could take my broken heart to my friends and they would comfort me and hold me close. We take all kinds of vitamins to recover from anemia, iron deficiency, potassium loss and hundreds of other aliments. The old saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away is true. One vitamin we fail to use when we need it most is Vitamin F, and the only place we can obtain it is from friends who dose it to us generously when we are sick at heart from losing a loved one. I truly don’t think I could have survived the death of my young daughter and adult son if it had not been for the support of my friends who were at my side, who called early and late to offer their love and friendship to comfort me and encourage me to go on with a life without my children. When my 19-year old grandson lost his life in a motorcycle accident, I not only had to give comfort to my son and younger grandson, but take comfort from friends myself. There is nothing sweeter than pouring out your heart to a loving, caring friend and receiving a huge dose of Vitamin F in copious amounts to make us feel better. I thank God every day for those who have made my life richer and more precious for having known them. If you have lost a loved one and don’t know how you can go on with your life, remember your friends were there to share your joys; now they are there to share your sadness and hurts even more. Don’t forget to turn to them for support and comfort when you most need them; they are there for you even as our Lord, Jesus Christ is. I know this is true because He promised and He never forgets His promise to you. My prayer is that He will bring you peace and comfort in your grief. He promised. ~ Betty |
Life After Loss |
Life After Loss |
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