I'm soooo glad the group worked out well for you!!

I'm guessing that maybe the male hospice guy was supposed to be a co-facilitator. He sounds like a real goober. Feel free to tell the one who is good how he referred to people as "crazies". That's totally unexceptable. Even behind closed doors a health care professional should know better than that! Grrrr...

Ok, well, other than him - it sounds good. Yes, the stories are heart wrenching. What I was always amazed at was when two people have similar stories and they are so in shock to meet each other. It's highly cathartic for them, and healing for the whole group to witness.

Just listening to the stories, difficult as it is, is a form of healing, I think. Because we do it together, knowing we have each other to lean on. And we know that talking is healing, so when we listen we are helping. It's this feeling of being in it together. We have to harden ourselves so much to the outside world, to get through a death by suicide. (So much stigma, misunderstanding, ignorance, and fear is out there. ) But to each other, to other survivors, we can still offer our tender side.

Hugs, and congratulations on your first meeting!

emmy