Grief Comes in Waves

Grief comes in waves. When the ship is first wrecked, you're drowning, with wreckage all around you. Everything floating around you reminds you of the beauty and magnificence of the ship that was and is no more. And all you can do is float. You find some pieces of the wreckage and you hang on for a while. Maybe it's some physical thing. Maybe it's a happy memory or a photograph. Maybe it's a person who is also floating. For a while, all you can do is float. Stay alive.

In the beginning, the waves are 100 feet tall and crash over you without mercy. They come 10 seconds apart and don't even give you time to catch your breath. All you can do is hang on and float. After a while, maybe weeks, maybe months, you'll find the waves are still 100 feet tall, but they come further apart. When they come, they still crash all over you and wipe you out. But in between, you can breathe, and you can function. You never know what's going to trigger the grief. It might be a song, a picture, a street intersection, or the smell of a cup of coffee. It can be just about anything, and the wave comes crashing. But in between the waves, there is life.

Somewhere down the line, and it's different for everybody, you find that the waves are only 80 feet tall. Or 50 feet tall. And while they still come, they come further apart. You can see them coming. An anniversary, a birthday, Christmas, or landing at O'Hare. You can see it coming, for the most part, and prepare yourself. And when it washes over you, you know that somehow you will, again, come out the other side. Soaking wet, sputtering, still hanging on to some tiny piece of the wreckage, but you'll come out.
The waves never stop coming, and somehow you don't really want them to. But you learn that you'll survive them.  They are a testament to your love.

* Source of poem writing: given to us by previous participant Cheryl Slomann, we found it to be a perfect poem for Release to the Sea. We have not discovered the author to give them credit for their beautiful work! Author Unknown

Your Program Activities

Your eight-day or seven-night sailing journey on the water explores life between the waves of grief. It's an opportunity to allow the sea to see your pain; she will not judge you. The sea will hold space for you so that you can allow yourself to embrace its light and energy and re-learn what it means to live. On the journey, you will have the opportunity to remember your loved one, to honor them, to keep their memory alive, and to share stories of how they lived, their lives, and all that made you laugh, for each time you laugh, it makes their light shine brighter. The journey is  an interconnected one with Greece and its culture, traditions, and customs for honoring our loved ones. A journey of understanding how other cultures embrace grief and how their faith, beliefs, customs, and traditions help them navigate their way back to the light. 

Rememberance ceremonies

Wreath/Flower Ceremony at Sea

Flag Making: "Fly your child's flag high on the mast."

Preparation of Koliva, a Greek Ceremonial dish of remembrance

Candlelighting Remembrance Ceremonies

ReFLECTION

Journaling to reflect and release

Daily Meditation Exercises

Renew

Beach Walks and Mountain Hikes

Island Exploration

Water Immersion

This program is ideally suited for:

• Bereaved mothers whom have experienced the unimaginable loss of a child

• Women who must find the strength to carry on for surviving children

• Mothers who wish to experience a ceremonial journey of remembrance

• Women who wish to be in the presence of other women in a supportive environment, free of judgement

• Women seeking to find new ways of accepting their life experience and surviving the loss of their child

• Bereaved mothers seeking to re-open their heart to life and embrace their life experience

• Women seeking a safe haven for their Grief to allow it to rise and release to the sea

** Couples journey available; minimum 4 couple requirement. Please reach out to us if you are interested in a couples journey

Program Costs

$2,300 (8 days/7 nights) per person (share occupancy)

Includes:

2 person crew Captain and Hostess/Steward

1 Navigators 

(1) Queen stateroom (shared occupancy) en-suite amenities

Half Board (Breakfast/Lunch plus all drinks with meals)

Airport pick-up

Pre-Journey Athens Welcome Dinner

Pre-Journey: Meet the Moms at the Acropolis

All on-board Ceremonies and Activities

All island activities with navigators

Does Not Include

Any airfare or hotel accommodations

Transfer by ferry or plane to the island of Paras for embarkation.

Sponsor someone you love

We understand that not everyone has the financial means to embark on a journey thousands of miles away. But perhaps with the compassion of all of us, we can help them on their journey to set sail in hopes that they will find some moment of peace in their hearts.

100% of your donation is applied to your sponsored loved one to offset their costs. We are merely the messengers of good tidings.