As I was driving to work recently, I glanced at the auto in front of me as we both approached a stop light. The bumper sticker on this SUV caught my eye quickly, as it read, "Home is Where Your MotherLives"……Hmmm, I pondered a few thoughts for a while, and wondered if I should consider myself "homeless" since my mother is no longer living. "Home" has many meanings for each of us, and regardless of the stage of life we’re in, we learn to treasure the importance of this American tradition and blessing.
REMEMBERING MOM: THE BARBARA FRANKLIN FOUNDATION IS LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME! Our organization has been operating in my home since we began in 2004. During our rapid growth and progression, it becomes necessary for us to have a place we can officially call “home.” We need a small office/cubicle with a Dallas address to coordinate all our administrative functions and duties, and to host meetings and support groups for our members. If your company is looking for a non-profit organization to adopt during the upcoming year, I hope you will consider our organization. We do need a home so we can welcome women during the initial stages of their grief journey, and to give them a place to REMEMBER MOM.
Commitment and Dedication We have recently highlighted the work of our Board of Directors; both past and present. Please log on to our website to learn more about each of them, as well as their motivation for serving as leaders of our organization. I am personally grateful for their dedication and commitment, and wanted to share their personal photos and bios with each of you. Please visit www.Rememberingmom.org/about.htm
Last spring we made a presentation to the Dallas City Council requesting the city of Dallas to officially and permanently recognize the second Saturday of May (the day of our annual luncheon celebration) as the "RememberingMom Holiday." Mayor Leppert, and members of the City Council were in favor of our request, however communication continues with Dallas city officials on the nature of our request, as well as an official outcome. We will recognize our first official "holiday/day of recognition" on Saturday, May 8, 2010 during the 7th Annual Remembering Mom Luncheon Celebration.
With the nature of our pending Remembering Mom Holiday, we thought it would be fitting to now open the event to men and women who have experienced the death of a mother. That's right; effective this year, WE WILL NOW INCLUDE MALES IN OUR ANNUAL REMEMBERING MOM LUNCHEON CELEBRATION. We have had numerous requests for male participation over the years, and while they have been understanding that the nature of our event has been for females only, the Board of Directors felt it was now appropriate to allow men an opportunity to sit with us on this day, and remember and recognize their mothers as well. We recognize there are uniquely different grieving styles between men and women (sometimes we cry; sometimes they don't), however, we still recognize the fact that they too feel the pain and void of their mother’s absence during this significant and challenging holiday weekend (Attendees of our luncheon celebration must have experienced the death of a mother).
The Devastation of the Haiti Earthquake
Like most of you, I've been completely saddened and heartbroken over the devastation of the recent earthquakes in Port Au Prince, Haiti. The media have done a superb providing coverage on details related to the status of this community, however, there are days when I am only able to absorb it in small does at a time. It gets tough. The scenes of collapsed neighborhoods, wandering children with no parents, and large numbers of bodies being transported in dump trucks to mass grave sites has been overwhelming to say the least. Of all the still photos I've seen, the most profound was one from the Dallas Morning News, depicting a woman with her arms outstretched as she cried uncontrollably realizing her mother was inside a building that had collapsed. My heart aches for this woman as she experiences mother loss, and the thousands of family members who lost loved ones during the devastating earth quakes.
Today, we remember those lives lost, and all the family members who are left to mourn and grieve such tremendous loss beyond our own comprehension. Let us remember to keep this community of people in our continual thoughts and prayers. Let us be mindful of the numerous ways in which we can offer support, and to take advantage of this unique opportunity to help others in need.
Featured Speaker: R. Greg Franklin, Brother of the Founder, Regina Franklin-Basye, Co-author of Chicken Soup for the African American Soul, and Motivational Speaker
Support Group Meets Quarterly While reminders are sent each quarterly, please be reminded of our support group sessions that meet quarterly. The groups are small, intimate groups that meet to allow women (males are not permitted at the group sessions) an opportunity to share their experiences of their grief journey. Each session meets at 10:00 a.m. (on Saturdays) at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church, 9200 Inwood Rd in Dallas.Groups are facilitated by an experienced chaplain, who has years of experience in grief/bereavement related issues. We are pleased that Rev. Judy Frizzell has worked with our organization since the spring of 2009. The dates for the 2010 groups are:
Saturday, January 16, 2010 – Winter Group
Saturday, April 10, 2010 – Spring Group
Saturday, July 10, 2010 – Summer Group
Saturday, October 9, 2010 – Fall Group
Saturday, December 11, 2010 – Winter Group
Annual Remembering Mom Grief Recovery Seminar Plans are being made for our 4th Annual Remembering Mom Grief Recovery Seminar which will take place on Saturday, September 11, 2010. Please watch the website for more details.
Listen to Regina Franklin-Basye
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