Cristin McCarthy Vahey

Today is Friday and somehow, even with the changes in our natural rhythms, it is still A time to step back from the daily stressors and regroup. Today, I wanted to share a few thoughts with you and, as usual some resources. Why the photos of the Vietnam Wall and a baby bird? I’ll explain.

As we head into the weekend, I want to acknowledge the grief we face collectively as well as the individual grief you are each dealing with. Earlier today, I was out for a much needed mental health jog and took some time to listen to a new podcast, Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us. I’m a few episodes behind and found myself listening to a March 31^st conversation on grief with David Kessler. Mr. Kessler together with Elizabeth Kubler Ross are widely known for their work on grief and dying. Most of us are familiar with the stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. More recently Mr. Kessler added another, Finding Meaning.

Earlier this week I shared on Facebook that the number of deaths in the United States has surpassed the number of people we honor at the Vietnam Memorial. It is a sobering fact, along with the loss of 2,339 lives here in CT and 44 right here in Fairfield. Amidst the sadness, there are signs of hope, as the number of hospitalizations decreased and our capacity for testing is ramping up. Yesterday the Governor announced steps being put into place to help re-open our state.

Right now, we are all grieving something in our lives. There are many losses we face – from the death of a loved one to the graduation that won’t happen, the job that might not come back, the birthday or anniversary not celebrated, the financial security we thought we could count on. I could go on. We are all living this collectively, but in our own unique ways.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. During this challenging time, I invite you to pay attention to your own mental wellness, as well as that of those around you. I have shared many resources with you in the past, but today wanted to highlight NAMI CT, led by Fairfield’s own Lisa Winjum. NAMI offers a tremendous array of resources, including multiple support groups, along with a warm line for information, resources, and referrals available 9 am to 5pm Monday through Friday at (860) 882-0236 Check out more resources online.

Next week Ms. Winjum will join Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon of the CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and The HubCT leaders Margaret Watt and Giovanna Mozzo for a conversation with Congressman Himes on mental health.

In the face of grief there truly are many responses. I shared the photo of the baby bird, a cardinal, which we found this week in our backyard. Besides being a sign of new life, we have watched as the bird’s parents feed it day by day. This reminded me of that podcast I was sharing with you earlier. Mr. Kessler shared the Parable of the Long Spoons. I’ll let you discover it on your own.

The lesson is a reminder that hope is seeing so many people working for and caring for one another during this difficult time. Speaking of caring for one another, there will be another Food Drive this Sunday, May 3 from 10-Noon in the First Church Parking lot. This week, if you have additional donations including sheets and towels, you can bring them down as well for Alpha Community Services.

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