Watch this Special Video Playlist for Widowed People
In November of 2020, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation introduced a series of virtual workshops designed to build community among Fire Hero Family members who have been widowed. Although the series ended in February 2021, we are pleased to offer these recorded sessions featuring Michele Neff Hernandez, the Founder and Executive Director of Soaring Spirits International.
Before this series, we asked our Fire Hero Family community what they hoped to get out of these workshops and 80% of them said that they would like to gain “coping skills for day-to-day life.” This series utilized interactive journals, short videos, and included time for interaction to share experiences, ideas, concerns, and hope.
The workshops were so well received, we wanted to share this special Grit, Growth, & Grace playlist and related journaling activities with all of those who are coping with grief and loss. This series of videos includes sessions on self-esteem, stamina, setting intentions, and love.
Related Journaling Activities:
Stamina: Keeping Up and Keeping On
- What are the top three drains on your time and energy?
- When demands on your time increase, how do you respond physically, mentally and emotionally?
- Do you struggle to maintain personal boundaries which protect your mental and emotional health? If so, what keeps you from maintaining those boundaries? If not, how are you able to maintain those boundaries?
Intention: Choosing How to Show Up
- Write down the names of three people you admire. Next to their names, list the qualities that make them special.
- Why do you admire this quality and what value does this person add to your life?
- Is this a quality that you would like to develop in yourself and how might you do that?
Making Room for Love
- Name four types of love that you have in your current life.
- Is there a type of love (family/friend/romantic/self) that you’d like to add or increase in your life?
- How has the death of your hero impacted the way you love others?
The Workshop Impact
What Our Attendees Said
After the Workshops
Bonus Journaling Activity:
Grief and the Holidays
- How has your enjoyment of the holiday season changed since the death of your hero?
- In what specific ways do you miss your hero during the holidays?
- Do you include your loved one in some way in your holiday celebrations? How, why, when or why not?
The Grit, Growth, & Grace Series
Presented by Michele Neff Hernandez
Michele Neff Hernandez is the Founder and Executive Director of Soaring Spirits International, a global peer-support network that has served three million widowed people. Since the death of her husband Phillip, Michele has dedicated herself to providing resources, support, and community to widowed men and women around the world.
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