09/08/2026
Today is what would have been my sister Kat’s 82nd birthday. She was the third sibling that we lost this year. Pat, Kat and Angie were the oldest of the 10 of us. Losing the three of them within a 5 week span was heartbreaking, devastating and shocking. I have been a Grief Counsellor for about 15 years. I know a lot about loss because I have met with a lot of grieving people during that time. I know what is happening in me as a result of my losses, because of my work… but knowing absolutely does not absolve me of having to walk the path of grief. And I can say with certainty that grief is in many ways a solitary journey, but it doesn’t need to be. This is why Kelly Phipps, Dorothy Point, Bernadette Otto and Natalie Berman Biggs met in October of 2017 and began to form what would come to be known as SOLS- South Okanagan Loss Society. We formed SOLS with the idea that we would be able to offer community based drop in grief support on a weekly basis, as well as individual grief counselling and other grief related programs and activities to the South Okanagan.
Some losses change everything, I know this to be true. Talking about your experience and hearing what others have to say helps… a lot. If you (or someone you know) are experiencing a loss or losses that that have taken the ground from beneath you- a loss that has brought you to your knees, a loss that has devastated you and you want to talk about it and learn how to live with it, you are welcome to join us…
