Seven life-changing moments along the road to healing

When you find your people, your family of support, those who truly understand what you’re going through, it can make all the difference in the world. And when you share your journey with others, it can make a world of difference to them too. At Threads of Life our family members have all been through the moment that turned their life upside-down: the phone call, the diagnosis, the knock on the door. But we’re fortunate to also witness the moments when lives take a step towards healing – and these positive life-changing moments can only happen because of the support of our kind donors, partners and volunteers. We wanted to share a few recent ones:

Moment: Attending a family forum: “The freedom to feel the spectrum of emotions that are evoked by our losses was cathartic: sadness, frustration, bewilderment, but love and humour too. Freedom to express unfiltered. Precious … thank you Threads of Life for the kind support that helps us all on our individual healing journeys, reconciling with losses – whether it’s injuries, illnesses or deaths – that have forever changed our once anticipated life direction.” – Family Member

Moment: Participating in online FamiliesConnect workshops: “When we were having these FamiliesConnect sessions, I was so comfortable, it didn’t matter that I didn’t really know the people I was talking to, I knew in my heart that they were talking to me from a deeper level than people normally have the freedom to talk. They were totally honest. I knew that I was never going to be judged for anything that I was going to say. I would often hear myself saying something that I hadn’t even shared with myself. … It was a safe place,” – Family Member

Moment: Bringing a speaker to a classroom: “The students were moved by your presentation…it’s been three days, yet there is still a seriousness about their disposition. They seem more appreciative of their existence, and more focused on pursuing their career goals and enjoying the passage of time … It’s always a challenge to get the attention of the teens, even good students, but you had a captive audience who really felt your pain (or a small portion of it). Thank you so very much for sharing your love for your child and the pain of losing him with my classes. If you are able to repeat this presentation at other schools I highly recommend you do so.” – Speaker’s Bureau Client

Moment: Attending a Family Forum for the first time: “Thank you for this!! I feel it is the first step to my journey of moving forward. It was emotional but much needed. I truly appreciated the support and respect.” – Family Member

Moment: Hearing a Threads of Life speaker presentation: “Please extend our heartfelt thanks to [volunteer speaker] Joanne. Yesterday, one of our workers told me that the first thing he did when he got home after the event was to give his 5-year-old son a huge hug and said that he told his son that when he is older and working, to always be safe.” – Speaker’s Bureau Client

Moment: Supporting another family member: “We share a common thread. It’s our new reality but that thread sews/binds us together in a way we would never have known otherwise — whether we are around the corner or across the country. Would we have wanted to meet under different circumstances? Absolutely! But sharing, listening, mentoring, laughing, crying together, saying things we feel we can’t share with others; just knowing that someone really does understand our pain and loss like no one else can — these threads are our common bond.” – Family Member and Volunteer Family Guide

Moment: Deciding to volunteer: “I have been involved in construction health and safety for more than a decade and I have personally investigated three fatalities on construction sites and have seen the effect it has on people, including co-workers, other persons on-site whether they were involved or not and most importantly, the families of the ones who have been lost. I was intrigued by this opportunity as I think the message of this charity and its purpose is amazing and I want to be a part of its success.” – New Volunteer

Would you like to help us create more of these positive, life-changing moments? Donate to Threads of Life today!