Facing Life’s Losses Made Easier With Virtual Seminars on Grief

Loss is devastating and the heartache can stick with you. Some can handle grief well. Others, not so much. Regardless, no one should be alone while grieving. That's why AARP Texas is offering grief seminars to help those who need it.

Three upcoming virtual events will take on serious topics, including end-of-life planning, finding meaning after losing a loved one, and aid for broken hearts. The events aim to be useful for those who are grieving or even those who want to know what to do when tragedy strikes.

Jessica Lemann, an associate state director AARP Texas, leads the association’s outreach work in Central Texas and is enthusiastic about the series of grief seminars.

"All of us will experience loss at some or several points in our life, whether it's a loved one, a treasured pet, a job, or a major life change,” she said. “Yet, we don't often talk about it, and because of that, we don't know how to support ourselves or our loved ones during these times."

Lemann noted that there are many misconceptions about grief. "There is this notion that grief is a weakness or there is a time limit on how long it should take to grieve, and both of those are false. We also tend to think grief should look a certain way, and it is different for everyone," she said.

Myths and misconceptions around grief are widespread. Garrick Colwell, president and CEO of Kitchen Table Conversations, an organization dedicated to end-of-life planning, advance care planning, and grief education that collaborates with AARP on several events, spoke about the misconceptions that many people have concerning grieving.

"One of the biggest myths about grief is that time heals all wounds,” said Colwell. Actually, it’s "action over time (that) heals…the action being our intention to heal."

Below are upcoming events sponsored by AARP Texas in which participants can learn more about healthy grieving practices and end-of-life planning.

Grief and Loss: First Aid for Broken Hearts
Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022
10:30 a.m. to Noon Central Time
Zoom -- Registration link coming soon

End-of-Life Planning: How to Decide, Discuss and Document Your Final Wishes
Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022
10:30 a.m. to Noon Central Time
Zoom -- Registration link coming soon

Grief and Loss: Finding Meaning Again
Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022
From 10:30 a.m. to Noon. Central Time
Zoom -- Registration link coming soon