About 100 people marked National Grief and Bereavement Day at Langley’s Derek Doubleday Arboretum on Tuesday, Nov. 21, by hanging ornaments with messages to lost loved ones, and taking part in a candlelight walk through the park in their memory.
Murrayville resident Manfred Rossdeutscher came to honour his first wife, Linda, who passed away in February 2016.
“I was sort of lost, and didn’t know, at the time, what hospice meant or of its existence,” he shared.
Friends introduced Rossdeutscher to Langley Hospice Society, where he joined the weekly walking group and found it greatly benefited him.
“It’s easier to talk to other people about emotions while being outside,” Rossdeutscher said.
He also received support from a bereavement counsellor at hospice who helped him through his grief process.
Ever since, Rossdeutscher has volunteered at Langley hospice.
“You can pass on how you’ve conquered and overcome bitterness and grief… The biggest thing I learned is not just [coming] out of it, but also reconstructing your life,” he commented.
The walk through the park was led by piper Cameron Bonar from Surrey, who has attended each year as a tribute to his late father, Andrew, who was also a piper.
Volunteers guided walkers, and lights lined the pathway and parts of the route were lit up with generators. At the beginning and end of the walk, there was hot chocolate and propane heaters to warm up.
Shannon Todd Booth, executive director of Langley hospice, said she has seen a growing need for grief and bereavement support.
“We have noticed over the last few years, people have been grieving in isolation with the pandemic and some of the restrictions,” Todd Booth observed.
She said the aftermath of the isolation will likely be seen for a long time.
“We are re-learning how to connect and support each other in person.”
Partnering with Langley hospice for the annual walk is the Langley Division of Family Practice to support physicians who often are witness to loss on a daily basis in their professional lives.
“They care immensely for their patients and their families, and they see loss in their work daily. They understand first-hand the importance of gathering,” said Simone Sharma, project lead for the Langley division.
Langley Hospice Society offers assistance for people coping with grief.
For more information, visit langleyhospice.ca or phone: 604-530-1115 or email: info@langleyhospice.ca.
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