Dictionaries and other online sources define grief in a variety of ways. According to Merriam-Webster, grief is “deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement.” Vocabulary.com says it means “intense sorrow.” MayoClinic.org states that grief is “the natural reaction to loss.” While these definitions might be slighly different, the one thing that usually can be agreed upon is that grief is a difficult thing for people to experience. With that reality in mind, we were pleased to learn that the Kirtland Senior Center recently launched a new life adjustment group to help seniors with grief brought on by life changes. The center, located at 7900 Euclid-Chardon Road, recently began its first six-week group, and will hold an inaugural open session event later this month. Both are free for visitors 55 and older. Kirtland Community and Senior Center Coordinator Teresa Szary said that participants do not need to be senior center members. “Change can bring grief,” Szary said. “It’s not just bereavement. It’s not just the loss of a loved one. But sometimes it’s, you get your car keys taken away, you have a hard diagnosis, your spouse has to go into assisted living, your kids don’t talk to you, empty nest syndrome — that kind of idea. “All of those are large life adjustments that at times we can grieve, and so we really wanted to focus on not just bereavement, but the process of grief and how best to cope with it in a way that people know that they’re not alone in their journeys.” Szary said the six-week sessions will be held twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. They will be led by senior center instructor Dawn Gettig. Gettig said she previously taught yoga classes at the center. Szary added that Gettig also has experience with art therapy and aromatherapy. “One thing that I would really like to do is instill hope through their grieving or trauma experiences, to give them some tools to work with,” Gettig said. “We’re going to do some calming exercises, maybe at the beginning and the end, to ground them and give them ways to deal with their grief and explain what grieving’s all about.” “There’s different ways to grieve and just to give them support, and they say that when people get together in a group, it can be very therapeutic because they start supporting one another,” she added. Szary added that everyone grieves differently and that something that helps one person will not always help another. She intends for the program to provide different tools to work through that grief. “This gives them, really, a safe space, a forum and a confidential space to speak to each other and learn from each other’s experiences,” she said. “People don’t have to do it by themselves.” Szary said the six-week sessions will be limited in size to provide everyone a chance to share. Participants are also expected to attend all six sessions, both because the sessions build on previous ones and to develop trust. Gettig added that attendees will be able to attend only one set of six-week sessions. “You’re giving them these tools, and you’re hoping that this group kind of takes off and then continues on supporting one another,” she said. The first six-week session started on Sept. 16. The senior center also plans to offer a monthly open session for those who are not ready for a closed group or who cannot commit to one. Szary said that each month will focus on a different topic. The first open session will be at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 25 and will include snacks and a showing of the 2007 movie “P.S. I Love You.” People interested in participating should contact the senior center at 440-256-4711 or email [email protected]. The News-Herald applauds the Kirtland Senior Center for establishing the new grief support group. We hope that this initiative proves to be helpful for seniors who participate.