Fred and Nancy Bohn.
Submitted Photo
SHAVERTOWN — Death is such a personal thing; everyone handles the passing of a loved one differently. Some people accept the loss of a parent, spouse, or even a child, and others spend months, if not years, sad and depressed.
Wyoming resident Fred Bohn knows the grief of losing a loved one when his 68-year-old wife Nancy was a victim of COVID during the pandemic. Her passing anniversary is Jan. 8, 2022, a date Fred and family will never forget.
“One day, she was fine, and in a few short days, she was gone,” Bohn recalls. “Once she went to the hospital, I never got the chance to talk to her again.”
Naturally, Fred struggled with the loss of Nancy, whom he called his best friend; after all, the couple had been high school sweethearts, side-by-side since ninth grade at Wyoming Area, both graduating in 1971.
With three children and six grandchildren, Fred and Nancy were a tight-knit family.
Feeling lost is natural, and Bohn was no exception.
He struggled, saying, “I didn’t know what to do with my day, let alone the rest of my life.”
Eventually, Fred found GriefShare, a hope and healing program run by the Methodist Church with groups meeting locally at several locations.
“A good friend, Karen Ferrett, brought my attention to GriefShare,” Bohn explained. “One day, she said to me it didn’t look like I was making much progress in healing and moving forward after Nancy’s death. She told me about GriefShare and suggested I look into it.”
Bohn signed up for the course, which helped him immensely — so much so that when he found out the moderator was going step down, he decided to take over the classes.
According to GriefShare website, “GriefShare support group is a safe, welcoming place where people understand the difficult emotions of grief. Through this 13-week group, you’ll discover what to expect in the days ahead and what’s ‘normal’ in grief. Since there are no neat, orderly stages of grief, you’ll learn helpful ways of coping with grief, in all its unpredictability and gain solid support each step of the way.”
GriefShare can be found in nearly 12,000 churches nationwide with over 16,000 groups with 53,000 leaders.
Bohn said the 13-week program consists of a combination of hearing insight from experts, meeting others who understand what you’re going through, receiving comfort and support, learning practical tips for navigating your grief, and discovering the six signs of healing.
Each week, participants can expect a 30-minute video with helpful guidance, discuss grief-related issues, and gain personal recovery tips through a workbook.
Topics covered with the program are one’s grief journey, sadness and loneliness, fear and anxiety, anger, regrets, questions for God, and hope and resilience.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with the difficultly of the loss of a loved one, you can reach out to GriefShare at www.griefshare.org.
The website is full of information and contains a search engine for finding a GriefShare class near you.
Bohn said his next class will begin Thursday, Feb. 6, and run through Thursday, May 8. from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Shavertown Methodist Church, 163 N. Pioneer Ave., Shavertown.
For further information on the program, contact Bohn at fbohniii@comcast.net or phone him at 570-230-0750.
To register, visit griefshare.org/findagroup.
Bohn stresses the program is nondenominational and open to anyone of any faith.
