to those of you who are receiving this newsletter for the first time and to our regular members. We are a self-help organization offering nonjudgmental friendship and understanding to bereaved parents, grandparents, and siblings. Bereaved Parents' purpose is to aid these persons in the positive resolution of their grief and to foster their physical and emotional health. Our chapter meets in a donated church facility, but no religious creed or affiliation is involved. Persons of all faiths (or no faith), creeds, and races are welcome! We have no dues, and no one is required to speak at any meeting. Listening is OK. If you need us, we're here for you. If you do not need help yourself, please bring your compassionate understanding to those who need the support of other bereaved parents, siblings, or grandparents.

APRIL 18

MAY 16

The Bereaved Parents of North Texas meets regularly on the third Monday of each month at 7:15 pm in the Flynn Hall Lounge of the First United Methodist Church, 201 S. Locust Street, Denton, Texas. (For directions, please see the
map on the back page.)

Baby-sitting available, SEE BELOW:

Parents who need babysitting at our monthly meetings should contact Deana Ferguson by the end of the 2nd Monday of each month for our 3rd Monday meetings so sitter arrangements can be made. Contact her at: 940-382-5478

COMING UP IN APRIL…

Our topic is health issues in regards to grief. Sometimes after we have lost our most precious children, grandchildren, or siblings we are left to deal with not only the loss but also health problems from general aches and pains to being diagnosed with different diseases or
conditions. We will have fellow bereaved parent,
Brenda Hobbs, RN, head
pediatric nurse at Denton Community Hospital, speak to us and help us understand
what is going on with our bodies due to the grief and how to deal with this.

Bring a picture of your child to share with the group during our sharing session.

Your telephone links you to a loving listener. Do you need to talk about your child's life and death with someone who truly understands your anguish? Those listed below have volunteered to listen and to try to help you. By allowing others to help you, you also are helping others. If no one answers at one number, please call another. Give us a call. It helps to talk!

Shirley & RD Cawyer - 940-668-7717 - auto/train accident

Beth Reynolds - 940-321-3302 - auto accident

Virginia Gallian - 940-387-5767 - sudden death

Our Credo

We are the parents whose children have died. We are the grandparents who have buried grandchildren. We are the siblings whose brothers and sisters no longer walk with us through life. We come together as Bereaved Parents of the USA to provide a haven where all bereaved families can meet and share our long and arduous grief journeys. We attend monthly gatherings whenever we can and for as long as we believe necessary. We share our fears, confusion, anger, guilt, frustrations, emptiness and feelings of hopelessness so that hope can be found anew. As we accept, support, comfort and encourage each other, we demonstrate to each other that survival is possible. Together we celebrate the lives of our children, share the joys and triumphs as well as the love that will never fade. Together we learn how little it matters where we live, what our color or our affluence is or what faith we uphold as we confront the tragedies of our children's deaths. Together, strengthened by the bonds we forge at our gatherings, we offer what we have learned to each other and to every more recently bereaved family. We are the Bereaved Parents of the USA.

We welcome you.