real Stories of good grief in action

December 18, 2023

I write this to share the kindness and compassion I witnessed from the members of Good Grief.

The widows were about to begin their last Good Grief meeting for the year at The Hub. As Nikki neared the parking lot, she noticed a woman walking in the middle of the road looking confused and in tears.  Nikki could tell that she needed help, so she pulled over and asked the dear woman to join her in the car so she could help her get to safety.  The woman agreed, and Nikki brought her to the Hub, not 100 steps away, as we were gathering at the start of our meeting..  

Nikki stayed close to the woman as she asked for help.  As I spoke to this woman, I could tell she was not dangerous, nor was she able to grasp where she was or even who she was. We all made her comfortable in a chair and gave her water as 911 was called.  Nikki stayed with this sweet lady calmly talking to her and reassuring her.  The medics came and Good Grief gathered.  

We later learned that this woman had been in a Safeway store with her husband.  He had turned his back for a moment and she had wandered.  Fortunately, he immediately called 911 and they were on the lookout for his missing wife.  They were very relieved to get our 911 call.  The beautiful ending to this story is that in the company of the medics, the husband was reunited with his wife and other members of her panicked family.  They had a very serious conversation about the necessity of medical identification bracelet.. which she will definitely receive for Christmas.

The care and compassion shown to this woman by Nikki, The Hub, and Good Grief is what makes this time of year so special.