We recently partnered with The HUB on Canal in NSB for our 2 ^nd virtual Hearts and Arts event , 4 ^th overall with this amazing organization . On 2 / 20 / 21 HUB instructors , Heather Pastor and Denise Bell , helped lead the “ love themed ” activities as you ’ ll see to the left . The first activity was paying homage to artist Robert Indiana ’ s famous LOVE sculpture located in Philadelphia . The second activity was making 3D art , some made hearts , hot air balloons , or kites . While grief was not necessarily the focus of this event , it did naturally shine through remarkably in all the projects . A reminder that grief is always nearby , and that is the reality for any family healing from loss .

♫ ♫ ♫♫ Music for Mourning ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Music and lyrics can be especially important for grievers of all ages , for a variety of reasons . Here are some songs grievers have shared with us . What songs have you heard that relate to your loss ?

♫ Send me a butterfly , let is be the color of your eyes . Show me a falling star , the second I ’ m wondering where you are . Let me hear our favorite song , the next time I turn the radio on . If you ’ re up there on the other side , send me a butterfly . Artist- Nolen Neal

♫ Tell me how am I supposed to live without you ? Now that I ’ ve been loving you so long . Tell me how am I supposed to live without you ? How am I supposed to carry on , when all that I ’ ve been living for is gone ? Artist- Michael Bolton

♫ Every step I take , every move I make . Every single day , every time I pray , I ’ ll be missing you . Thinking of the day , when you went away , what a life to take , what a bond to break , I ’ ll be missing you . Artist- Puff Daddy ft . Faith Evans & 112

Question : When grieving , is it normal to have happy moments in life again but also feel a sense of guilt for being happy ?

Answer : Yes , that is completely normal and happens to people of all ages throughout the healing process . In fact , one of our biggest coping skills in life is to harness our negative emotions , and try our best to turn them into positive thoughts / actions . Grieving is full of conflicting emotions , a “ battle royale ” of feelings , each fighting for the top spot in our thoughts . While it may seem as though enjoying life again moves us away from grieving our loved one , families can be assured this is not the case . We find feelings of happiness and laughter offer a healthy break from the most intense grief emotions ( like sadness , anger , guilt , regret , etc .) commonly felt when missing our loved one . It ’ s important to remember that using our coping skills is a way to manage our emotions , not erase them . Also , remember that everyone grieves in their own way , so this may look / feel different for everyone in the family .