The Grieving Room: first anniversary edition, with edits

Thank you to everyone who has hosted, commented, rec'd, or even just lurked on our little Monday evening series during this last year.

The Grieving Room debuted one year ago, on April 16, 2007, just a couple weeks after my mom died.   Although I wrote that first diary, and have been the general factotum for keeping this thing afloat, I didn't hatch the idea myself, nor have I done the lion's share of the duties.   This has been a real grassroots group effort, and I owe huge debts of gratitude, especially to TrueBlueMajority and exmearden, who have both given time and talent and passion to this effort.

More shout-outs over the fold...

I have to put my little guys in bed... so please hang on tight, and start a conversation in the comments!

I would like to have some input, so go peruse the 52+ diaries and weigh in:

What diary did you love?

What conversation in the comments really touched you?

What topic might we revisit, or explore for the first time?

Also, please feel free to sum up your losses that you grieve (with names and dates, if you wish!) in the comments.   They do not need to be recent, nor do they need to be human.   I would love this to simply be a tribute diary.   I am going to come back after the kids are down, and update the body with nuggets gleaned from past diaries.

Thank you!

A special welcome to anyone who is new to The Grieving Room.  We meet every Monday evening.  Whether your loss is recent or many years ago, whether you have lost a person or a pet, or even if the person you are "mourning" is still alive ("pre-grief" can be a very lonely and confusing time) you can come to this diary and process your grieving in whatever way works for you.  Share whatever you need to share.  We can't solve each other's problems, but we can be a sounding board and a place of connection.

Once again, here is a link to all previous The Grieving Room diaries.

First edit: a shout-out is due to some longtime, faithful participants... this is likely a VERY incomplete list, though... many thanks and {{HUGS}} to

cronesense

cfk

plf515

noweasels

  more to come...

Second edit:  more shoutouts.

To three moms who suffered the loss of sons in the last year or so - you three stay in my heart always -

mariachi mama

NewDirectionsMom

digitalmuse

Here are more wonderful TGR diarists and participants that need some thanking for their input in the last year:

poppyseed

sj (who seems awol of late - hopefully not a victim of the candidate wars)

x

And here are a couple of people that stand out as my own grief-mates - in that they are going through (or went through after me) the ordeal of having a parent with pancreatic cancer - that dreaded disease.

Needa Bigger Pretzel - I'll always think of you as my "little sister" in the fight.

rilkas - we're here when you need us.  I don't know if you caught my last reply to you a couple weeks ago - check it out, here.

Final edit, I think...   Here is the hosting schedule for the next little bit.  

April 28 - filled by exmearden
May 5 - filled by GreenMtnState
May 12 - filled by Dem in the Heart of Texas
May 19 - filled by x
May 26 - filled by bigjacbigjacbigjac
June 1 - filled by digitalmuse
June 8
June 15 - filled by TrueBlueMajority
June 22
June 29
and on...

Here are some topics that plf515 suggested below - feel free to riff on one of these!

* how grief is dealt with in different cultures

*  how the decline in child mortality has affected grief

*  how the rarity of the extended family living together makes loss and grief alien to us.

PLEASE - if you'd like to host, drop me a line or post a reply to the tip-jar below.  THANK YOU!