House of Winston Funeral Services

Daily Email Affirmations by House of Winston Funeral Services, Inc. Grief Connections Goal #5: Discover Your Creative Self - Day #15... Beautiful words and images. You too will heal, and carry a scar. But, you’ll be wiser, and more appreciative of all you are and have. Quotation for the Day "A cut finger is numb before it bleeds; it bleeds before it hurts, it hurts until it begins to heal; it forms a scab and itches until finally, the scab is gone and a small scar is left where once there was a wound. Grief is the deepest wound you ever had. Like a cut finger, it goes through stages, and leaves a scar." ~ Author Unknown

Daily Email Affirmations by House of Winston Funeral Services, Inc. Grief Connections Goal #4: Let the Past Brighten Your Future - Day #14... Take out your journal, if the mood strikes you, and write about the rewards hidden within the experience of grief. Reach into your gratitude: * I am grateful for the sun in the morning and the stars at night. * I am grateful for each breath. * I am grateful for the time we shared together. * I am grateful for my loving friends and family. Quotation for the Day "Sorrow has its reward. It never leaves us where it found us." ~ Mary Baker Eddy

Daily Email Affirmations by House of Winston Funeral Services, Inc. Grief Connections Goal#3: Help Others - Day #13... Imagine what kind of tree you’d be. See the seasons pass, the turning of the leaves. And the renewal of spring. Realize your own power to heal, and grow. Can you imagine your life left whole, after grieving your loss? Hold that image close to you, and realize that it will come; just as you see it to be in your imagination. Quotation for the Day "I think of the trees and how simply they let go, let fall the riches of a season, how without grief (it seems) they can let go and go deep into their roots for renewal and sleep.... Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long, not even pain, psychic pain. Sit it out. Let it all pass. Let it go." ~ May Sarton

Daily Email Affirmations by House of Winston Funeral Services, Inc. Grief Connections Goal #2: Be Forgiving - Day #12... Forgiveness is central to well being. Carrying around anger, resentment, guilt all negative emotions is truly toxic to mind and body. When my mother died of acute alcoholism, I couldn’t think of forgiving her for all she put me through as a child. But, some 19 years later, I realize that it was only in forgiveness that I found peace-of-mind. She did the best she could as a parent.And, her behavior stood in stark contrast to how I wanted to parent my own children, so they enjoyed a clean and sober, fully-present parent. Thanks, Mom, for what you taught me. Take some time to think about who you could forgive. And don’t forget to forgive yourself. You have always done the best you could, with whatever you had at the time. Quotation for the Day "Grief is love not wanted to let go." ~ Earl A. Grollman

Daily Email Affirmations by House of Winston Funeral Services, Inc. Grief Connections... Goal #1: Make Changes - Day #11 I’m not talking about big changes I’m not asking you to move to another house, or another city. I’m talking here about small, yet significant changes. Underlying all change is a willingness to do something differently and it’s that willingness that is life affirming. What are you willing to change? Here are some possibilities: * Listening to a new type of music * Reading new authors * Watching a different television channel or show * Giving up the evening news * Reading (or not reading) the daily newspaper * Exercising in a different way * Changing your diet * Waking up and/or going to bed at a different time Can you see how small these things are? One person I know gave up watching documentaries the harsh realities of life for most wild animals, or many human groups can be very depressing. Instead, she chose to watch only uplifting, feel-good movies. So, I’ll ask again, what change would you be willing to make? Quotation for the Day "The road through grief is a rocky one. Traveling along it requires courage, patience, wisdom, and hope." ~ Candy Lightner

Daily Email Affirmations by House of Winston Funeral Services, Inc. Grief Connections Goals for Growth - Day #10... Grief, believe it or not, is a wonderful catalyst for growth. That’s one of the reasons it’s so hard on us it initiates a process of spiritual expansion and deep introspection. Challenging work, even when you’re feeling good and when you’re grieving a loss, we all know you’re not at your most energetic or focused. In the coming days, we’re going to be looking at five goals for growth five ways you can manifest greater joy and peace-of-mind in your life. These five are: 1. Make Changes 2. Be Forgiving 3. Help Others 4. Let the Past Brighten Your Future 5. Discover Your Creative Self For now we’re only talking about them, and you’ll be thinking about the possibilities of growth. Journal on these questions: What would life be like if you didn’t hurt so much? How would you like your life to be? Can you see into the future with hope? Quotation for the Day "Our lives are like a vapor, here for a while, and then gone. Every moment is important. Today I will spend no time on self-pity, self-criticism, frustration, or anger. I will live for the simple beauty of the present moment." ~ Anonymous

Daily Email Affirmations by House of Winston Funeral Services, Inc. Grief Connections Habit #5: Record Your Thoughts - Day #8... What are your grateful for? That question is basically what got me started in journaling and perhaps your catalyst was your recent loss. Whatever your reason for beginning a journal, it’s a wonderful habit to cultivate. Putting your thoughts down on paper releases them to the Universe you no longer have to carry them around with you. I write in my journal as I sip my first cup of coffee. Whatever shreds of my dreams I can remember go onto the pages my plans for the day, my fears and my joys. You could use those few minutes to go on a Rampage of Appreciation detailing all those things you love about the being you’ve just lost. Journaling will bring healing, and this healing will bring: 1. A greater sense of being alive 2. Sharper thinking 3. Greater concentration 4. Better judgment 5. A more open and positive view of the world around you Activity It’s no surprise! Take your pen, put it to paper, and write for 10 minutes, about anything you wish to write about. Even if it’s your grocery list exercise those brain cells, and write it down! Quotation for the Day "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." ~Anais Nin

Daily Email Affirmations by House of Winston Funeral Services, Inc. Grief Connections... Habit #4: Take Care of Your Body - Day #7 Your body is simply the vehicle for experience and as we all know how important it is to maintain our cars, bicycles or other mechanical vehicles, the analogy can be extended to caring for your biological vehicle. Keeping your body in top physical/physiological form will assist you in growing through the grieving process. Take control of your physical well-being by doing what you can every day: eat regular meals, full of nutritious foods; and limit junk food. Get enough sleep, even if that means taking naps during the day but beware of too much sleep. Sinking into the sofa to sleep the day away is a sure sign of depression. Watch out for creeping addictions: alcohol and drugs (illicit or prescribed; even over-the-counter medications) will only delay grieving, and make it a more difficult process all together. Exercise regularly. Even just a walk around the block, on a regular basis, can help to restore your mental and physical well-being. Quotation for the Day "Pain (any pain--emotional, physical, and mental) has a message. The information it has about our life can be remarkably specific, but it usually falls into one of two categories: 'We would be more alive if we did more of this,' and, 'Life would be more lovely if we did less of that.' Once we get the pain's message, and follow its advice, the pain goes away." ~Peter McWilliams

This morning, House of Winston Staff, Mrs. Mary Louise Winston, and Rev. & Mrs. Shane B. Scott express their heartfelt sympathy to Mrs. Inez Simpson, Sonya, the entire Simpson family & the Staff of Simpson Family Mortuary in the passing of Mr. Curtis Simpson. God be praised for his life and legacy! Services have been entrusted into the hands of Ted's affordable Mortuary and are still pending. Please continue to pray for Mr. Simpson's wife, children and staff. ... "There is no sorrow heaven cannot heal".

Daily Email Affirmations by House of Winston Funeral Services, Inc. Grief Connections... Habit #3: Relieve Your Anger - Day #6 When I was growing up, I was taught that anger wasn’t ladylike, and as I watched my mother swallow her anger with every sip of vodka she took, I knew that way of living was self-destructive. As you work toward restoring your life after loss, recognize the power of anger for self-destruction and harness it for growth instead. How? By recognizing that it’s okay to be angry it’s a healthy human emotion that (when accepted and expressed) enables you to heal. Deal with it in constructive ways discharging its energy in the following ways. Quotation for the Day "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."~ Reinhold Niebuhr

Daily Email Affirmations by House of Winston Funeral Services, Inc. Grief Connections Habit #2: Be Positive - Day #5... I know that being positive feels almost like an impossibility and I’m sure you’re wondering how you can possibly do that when you are grieving deeply. However, as we plan our daily activities, even the simplest one, it’s possible to put a more desirable, or positive, spin. That brighter outlook, that positivity expands in a positive direction leading more swiftly to increased joy and recovery from loss.

"Self-care means honoring and respecting the miraculous being that you are. Self-care means learning to listen with the ear of a dedicated mother to your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, and then taking full responsibility for getting them met. Self-care means taking 100% responsibility for creating an environment that nurtures your physical, emotional and spiritual selves." ~ Carl Benedict

Daily Email Affirmations by House of Winston Funeral Services, Inc. Grief Connections Habit #1: Be Kind to Yourself - Day #4... The first of the habits we’re going to cultivate is often ‘easier said than done’. Be Kind to Your Self Many things keep you stuck in a place I like to call self-bashing. While you’re grieving the feelings of guilt and anger are especially powerful they can send you into a tail-spin of blame and self-criticism. The physical effects of grief, such as sleeplessness, lack of hunger, and depression can bring you into that dark place too, where you feel it’s appropriate to be less than kind to your Self.