February 2016 Newsletter
Hello,
In February we are reminded that LOVE is in the air!
What better way to heal – than with a focus on love? Along with a few links to other blogs this month, our feature article.
Let’s not forget Leap Day! Happy Leap Day! It only happens once ever four years… and there are some special love traditions only on that day, allowing ladies to propose to their gents!
Supporting your journey to a New Normal,
President & Executive Director,
A Butterfly’s Journey
PS. Please forward this newsletter or the ABJ site to help others. A complimentary 30-minute healing chat with me may also be scheduled HERE.
“Finding Your New Normal Through Love”
How Do I Do That?
What do You Mean?
Why Do I Care?
OK, I get it — that may sound like a weird statement… but when we are suffering from traumatic loss, we all want to find a new normal -right? Or most of us anyway, that are trying t o make a choice to heal.
But what does that have to do with a focus on love? LOTS!
Here’s what I mean… there are always multiple ways to achieve any goal, and depending on the methods you choose – it will take more or less time to get there, and the quality of the results will vary.
So… you COULD choose to:
- – stay stuck in the pain and focus only on what you’ve lost
- – medicate yourself into oblivion, in an effort to stop feeling
- – try to heal yourself without any help or resources
Understandable, but that is the HARD way! The LONG way! The EASIER way is to focus on LOVE-based activities to heal.
These might include the following 10 things:
(guessing you’ll have our own too!)
1. reaching out to help others – in any way, for any cause that appeals to you
2. reading about, exploring and expanding your spirituality (spiritual growth)
3. focusing on positive memories; what a gift your lost loved one was to you
4. finding & listening to music that makes you feel good & reminds you of them
5. doing memorial projects that you think they’d like (photos, arts, dedications)
6. caring out rituals that honor your loved one and make you feel better (scholarships, planting trees, memorial ceremonies, balloon-butterfly-or-lantern releases, giving memory of)
7. taking good care of yourself and your family – with proactive self-care (things like meditation, journaling, good nutrition, exercise, rest, and spending time in nature)
8. encouraging open communication about grief with your family & friends (including tolerance of differences and other opinions, but trust your intuition regarding what’s right for you.
9. having an open mind to new things that may help – give them a chance (energy healing, spiritual mediums, holistic therapies, etc – but always get a reference for good ones).
10. getting support to help you with your grief (online resources, local support groups, therapy, books, webinars, tele-seminars, conferences, connecting with others in similar circumstances)
 I believe that it truly is ALL about the LOVE! When we focus on life from that perspective, we not only hear ourselves better and quicker… we help heal those around us and we make our departed loved ones happier. They want us to heal and find hope, happiness and a new normal. When we are living in a higher level energy vibration, it may be easier for them to connect to us – because they are now on a very high energy vibration. I’ve gotten this message form my departed son, Brent. PS None of this is EASY or FAST… it’s HARD WORK, but it could be worse…
Wishing you all MUCH LOVE… and rapid healing…
Video Blog:
JOURNALNG – MEET BARBARA
Other blogs this month:
– The Story of the ABJ Butterfly
– HELP – Sharing Resources
REMINDER: For those local to northeast MA – LEAP DAY Mon 2/29 – JOIN USfor dinner at Michael’s Harborside with a % of the proceeds to benefit ABJ!
(5-8PM, 1 Tournament Wharf, Newburyport, MA – THANK YOU!)
See below for other upcoming events, featured resource, and more.
LOVE yourself as well as those around you and those who’ve passed on.
What’s ABJ up to ???
Febrary 2016:
-
- Michael’s Harborside, % of ALL dinners donated to ABJ
Monday 2/29 – JOIN US for Leap Day fundraising dinner!
March 2016:
- March 1-2, Business Intensive, Atlanta, GA
- Monday 3/14 – hosting Carrots women’s networking
- Saturday 3/26 – Oceanfront 1-Day RETREAT (9A – 4P)
-
- Tools, speakers, lunch, beach walk & bonus! – REGISTER
- includes Meditation,Journaling, Intuition & Journey Dance! +
- Guest presenters: (click REGISTER to see Agenda)
- Wed 3/30 – TELE-SUMMIT
April 2016:
- Group GRM (Grief Recovery) class at Roots -To-Wings Yoga Studio
- Thursdays 4/7 through May 26, 6:30 – 8:30 PM (8 weeks)
- Included: Grief Recovery Handbook, Tools for use/re-use
- Planned Webinar on Grief Healing Tools with Connect-2-Coach
- Planned Workshop / Weekend Retreat with National Grief Speaker & more
- Planned Hosted Session with a spiritual Medium
May 2016:
- Thu May 5th, Sponsor @New England Resident Service Coord.Conf. – CT
Q2 2016 and beyond: (may be subject to change)
- Release of more blog video topics & social ABJ videos
- Crowdfunding campaign & search for Grants
- Planned Retreat with National Grief Speaker
- 3-day business conference in Atlanta (April)
- Planned Event: (May) “Healing Through Photography”
- Planned TCF chapter 13th Anniversary Event (May)
- TCF National Conference – July 8-10, Scottsdale, AZ
- Planned Spirituality themed webinar & events in Q3
- Mitch Carmody’s Grief Cruise to the Bahamas (Sept)
- Planned “Hike to Heal” with Brandy Sales/Wecast Productions – (~Sept)
- Planned Self-Care themed webinar & events in Q4
 Journey Dance
with Corey McLaughlin
Dance with your whole being!
JourneyDance is a playful and soulful celebration of life that invites us to soften mental energy, listen to our body’s wisdom, and find freedom through movement.
Corey will conduct a Journey Dance at our 3/26 Spring Renewal Retreat!
Our Story
A Butterfly’s Journey (ABJ) has a mission to help individuals and families struggling with grief after the loss of a child, or other early loss, to find hope and a new normal. We do that through events, grief recovery classes, a comprehensive online Resource Center, and our photo shoots to allow grievers to express themselves simply, visually and emotionally to spark discussion. We also provide assistance to other organizations through education and resources.
Barbara J Hopkinson, ABJ Founder, President & Executive Director has lost 3 children and led bereaved families through the journey of grief for more than 12 years. She founded and leads a chapter of The Compassionate Friends, as well as A Butterfly’s Journey To A New Normal. She is certified Grief Recovery Specialist and author of two books “A Butterfly’s Journey” & “FAITH – Vol.II”
For more information, visit the ABJ web site
Contact Barbara at 617-410-6309 or barbara@abutterflysjourney.com for a complimentary 30-minute conversation or schedule it now HERE.
If you found this blog to be helpful, or know someone it would help, please SHARE and be sure to LIKE/Follow us – Thank you!
Please consider helping grievers with a donation.
Thank you!
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