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WALKING THIS VALLEY- Tucson Chapter Vol. 38 No. 1 January-February 2020

Frost

On a cold winter’s day, Frost etches a beautiful artistry

On everything it touches, every blade of grass It glitters and sparkles, and for moments

Before the sun comes out and the master piece evaporates before our eyes, we stand memorized cherishing the wondrous sight.

Like frost, our children were only here for a brief moment But, while they were here

Whether it was moments in the womb Days, months or many years

They etched their beautiful artistry of love On our hearts and lives and all of those

They touched. Unlike frost, what they etched is forever,

It is something that we can cherish and hold onto always. We stand here tonight lighting a candle to remember children we will never forget.

Their light, their spirits, their artistry lives on and like the flame of the candle gives warmth on a cold winter’s night

And light in the darkness The love our children gave us still remains.

It keeps us warm when the cold winds of grief blow. It lights our way through the darkness and loneliness

That we feel, And it gives us hope!

Julie Short 2007 Southeastern TCF

Candle Lighting Ceremony In Memory of Kyra

Tucson Chapter

P.O. Box 30733

Tucson, AZ 85751-0733

(520) 721-8042

www.tucsontcf.org

National Headquarters

P.O. Box 3696

Oak Brook, IL 60522

Toll free (877) 969-0010

www.compassionatefriends.org

Welcome! All bereaved parents, grandparents, and adult siblings are welcome at our support group meetings. Here you will find comfort, caring people, and most of all-HOPE. Coming to the first meeting is hard, but you have nothing to lose and much to gain. For

many it is the first real step toward healing. Although it may seem overwhelming, we encourage you to come to several meetings to give yourself a chance to become comfortable. The hope of The Compassionate Friends is that those who need us would find us and that those that find us would be helped. TCF also provides information to help members be supportive to

each other. We are not professional counselors. We are bereaved families who want to help each other.

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Past Events:

Chapter Candle Lighting: October 23, 2019

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All Souls Procession: November 8, 2019

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Worldwide Candle Lighting: December 8, 2019

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January Birthdays

JACK ATKINSON ROBERT BREMOND SHANTI CARLISI

LARRY CASTAÑEDA ZAC CLARK COLLEEN CONTER

KATIE EDMONDS KATHRYN EIDE RYKEN EVERETT

KAREN FORD ALEX GRADIAS EDNA HERRERA

TIMOTHY HESKIN ROLAND JAMES MEGHAN JONES

JOSEPH (JAY) KAPLINSKI MIA MATHESON SWAIN TAYLOR KOENIG

SEBASTIAN MEYER AARON MILLER PENELOPE OSWALT

DONN OWENS MICHAEL JOHN PADILLA KYLE PETTEYS

CHRISTOPHER PULLEN DAVID RADTKE BECKA ROSENWALD

MICHEAL P SHEATS NICHOLAS SIMS ERIC TAYLOR

ANTHONY THOMASON EMILY TRENT ROBERT ERIC TURNER

RAMES VALENZUELA MARIO VERDUGO JR LINDSAY WAKEFIELD

PHILIP WORKMAN TIMOTHY BYMP NICHOLAS A. BUONAVOLONTA JOVAN ANTONIO ESCARCEGA

KETZIA AMAIRANY FLORES GARY DURRENBERGER

JAMESON GILES PERSONIUS GREGORY RAMIREZ JR.

CHADWICK THOMAS KENYON ANDREW INGARGIOLA

January Remembrance Days

DANIELLE BARNETT PHILLIP BECKER

JAKE BOUDREAU CESAR TIZOK GONZALEZ ERICA LYN BOWDEN CLYDE BURKEY

JOHN JOSEPH CEPIN IV

GEORGIA COLEHOUR LUKE DAINS STEFAN ENRIQUEZ

ANDREW GAINES LAURA GORMAN BRIAN JOEL HARPER

EDNA HERRERA TYGE IRSKENS II AMY KRUPPENBACHER

KENNETH LUIKART STEPHEN MAHAFFEY MIA MATHESON

DAMION MATTHEWS DANIEL J. McCLAIN ALEX ANDRU MENDOZA

MARIELLE MENTZER JARED PATRICK JASON PHANCO

TRACY ANN POLLINS LUKE RUTHERFORD SHERYL SCHUBERT

CLINT SMITH JANESSA JACLYN SMITH LINDA STUBBINS

JESUS TARAZON-ROSAS ANTHONY THOMASON MARCOS RENE TORRES

OLANDO TRUJILLO EDWARD SAMUEL WEISS ANTHONY JOEL WELLS

CONNIE CHRISTINE WILSON CHRISTOPHER (Son of Mike and

Debbie) NICHOLAS A. BUONAVOLONTA MICAYLA JASMINE FULLER

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Empty Places I drove the old way yesterday. It’d been a while, you see. And there, without a warning, the pain washed over me. I drove the old way yesterday and sadness came on strong, taken back by so much feeling, since you’ve been gone so long. Places seem to lie in wait to summon up the tears, to say remember yesterday, those days when you were here. Places where you laughed and played are places where I cry. These places hold the memories that will live as long as I. -Genesse Gentry TCF Marin County, CA In Memory of Lori Gentry

Angels Among Us Our Angels are among us

We see them everyday In all the forms that God created... They are with us along life’s way.

We see them in the sunrise, That brightens and warms our soul. We feel them in the summer breeze

That chases away our cold. They are there among the flowers... Their sweet scent a memory of love.

They soar with the eagles, As they fly so high above.

The night will find them in the stars, Lighting our path below.

And even in our dreams, Their presence we’ll still know.

As the snow melts with the sun, And spring flowers peek through their beds,

They come on the wings of butterflies, And flutter about our heads.

They are telling us they are with us, And will be forever more...

Until it’s time for us to meet again, As we pass through heaven’s door.

- Jacquelyn M. Comeaux Copyright 2001 Reprinted by permission of author

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February Birthdays JASON BAKE DAVID BAKER ISAIAH BATES-SCOTT

JOSHUA BEDELL JEREMY BRIGHT LUKE DAINS

AISLYNN TIANA DAVIS JENNIFER DUTTON ROGER PAUL EAGLE

MATTHIAS EDWIN ENLOW D. FRANCES ENRIQUEZ SAHARA FAHMY

PETER JAMES "PJ" FARRELL WESTON FOARD BRIAN FRAZIN

RAUL (BUDDY) GARCIA KEVIN GEIS DANIEL LEE GEIS

JOSHUA GIBSON SHAY EMMA HAMMER BRIAN JOEL HARPER

KYLE HENSON PETER KJOLSRUD ERIC SETH KOVITZ

JOSE EDY LEYVA PAIGE LOVE DANIEL LOWE

BRIDGET MEMBRILA ROLANDO MONGE JOSHUA MOSS

THOMAS WILLIAM NEAL NICHOLAS PUTNAM CASSIE RAIO

AZAR IAN RUST REBECCA SIEGEL DAREK SLAYTON

ANTONIO TIRADO JAMES TURNER HOLLY VICKERS

CHANCE MORGAN ALLISON NICHOLAS ANDREW SAN ANGELO

CHARLES A. (CJ) GRAHAM CHRISTOPHER J.R. HESSE

SEAN ALEXANDER KINCAID AISLYNN TIANA MAGUIRE

MICHELLE VICTORIA PADILLA

KATELYN NICOLE STANES

CHRISTOPHER SCOTT CURTIS

February Remembrance Days

BILL ANDERSON DAVID BAKER

NICK BARNETT TAMARA DAWN BASS

PHILIP BIGGERS JADEN ELIJAH BLUE

KELLI BONN CALEB CANDLER CARM-IDRELLE CASSEUS

JOHN PATRICK CLINE JENNY CRIM KATIE DECKER

ALAN DOYLE ELISA GASTELLUM DONALD GREENE

RAAD HALABY CINDY HARTRANFT NATHAN HUBBLE

JAY JOHNSON REBECCA KATZ CHARLES JOSEPH KEEN

CHRISTIAN LAWSON ZEMIRA BAYLA LENC ANGEL LEON

BRIDGET MCCABE DALE MELLBERG PAUL METZGER

SHAWN NOBLE CHRISTOPHER PULLEN PAUL ROBOLD

SHAWN DOUGLAS RAMON II AZAR IAN RUST DAREK SLAYTON

EMILY RENEE SORKIN JULIO C. VERGARA KENNETH WALTER

JA-MUS WHITFIELD NOAH ZACARIAS RANDY ZIMMERMAN

TIMOTHY O'DONNELL GREGGORY RYAN KAISER

BENJAMIN ROHEN-TRAPP KATELYN NICOLE STANES

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Upcoming Events:

Steering Committee Meeting: January 29th, 6pm at Viscount Suite on Broadway. Quarterly on a non-meeting Wednesday. We thank the Viscount for the donation of a meeting room. All are welcome to attend.

Regional Conference-Honolulu, Hawaii Friday, March 27 7am-Saturday, March 28 2pm. Multiple workshops, luncheon, closing candle lighting.

April TBA: Annual Ice Cream Social and Remembrance.

National Conference. The Compassionate Friends National annual event. Workshops, Craft opportunities, Speakers, lunch, dinner, Candle lighting, and Walk-to-Remember event. Atlanta, Georgia. Check Facebook page or www.compassionatefriends.org to register and reserve rooms. The registration usually opens late January or early February.

The Compassionate Friends National:

Online Support information is available on the National Compassionate Friends Website at www.compassionatefriends.org. There are over 26 private Facebook groups available for parents, grandparents, and siblings. There are also “virtual chapters” through an online support community (live chats). Visit www.compassionatefriends.org/find-support/online-communities/online-support/ for more information and to register.

Remembrance Cards

In order to receive remembrance cards during your loved ones birthday month and the

death anniversary month, you must individually sign-up, with your complete information,

for the memorial book located on the national website found under the “Find Support” tab

after clicking on “To The Newly Bereaved” (https://www.compassionatefriends.org/find-

support/to-the-newly-bereaved/).

To contact the Tucson Chapter with questions on events, to volunteer, or to submit articles/poems to the newsletter please email us at compassionate.friends.tucson@gmail.com

Photo buttons: We no longer have a button machine. We have snap together kits so that you can make your own. If you don’t see them out, just ask at a meeting.

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CRISIS HOTLINE INFORMATION

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-8255

Suicide Hotline

1-800-Suicide

Depression & Crisis Hotline 1-800-784-2433

The National Institute for Trauma & Loss in Children (TLC)

1-877-306-5256

Families Anonymous

(Addiction/Recovery)

1-800-736-9805

Al-Anon Family Groups (Addiction/Recovery)

1-888-425-2666

Post Partum Depression 1-800-944-4773

Unless expressly stated, the views expressed in articles, poetry, etc. in Walking This Valley are not necessarily

the views of The Compassionate Friends, The Chapter Steering Committee or the Editorial Team. The Editor

reserves the right to edit any contributions.

OTHER TUCSON SUPPORT GROUPS

Information & Referral Services….

http://www.211arizona.org/

Homicide Survivors, Inc….

520-740-5729

FOOTPRINTS-

Pregnancy and Infant loss...

520-873-6590

Tu Nidito/Children to Children…

520-322-9155

Alive Alone

http://www.alivealone.org/

-for parent(s) who have lost their only

child

MISS FOUNDATION

http://www.missfoundation.org/

Survivors of Suicide……. 520-989-0467

Chapter Steering Committee

Leader: Tara Chico

Co Leader: Sharon Farrell/Kirsten Bice

Editor: Diane Allison

Contributing Editors: All members- contributions wanted!

Outreach/ Correspondence: Estella Salazar

Facebook: Melissa Chico, Cat Morrow

Website: Julie Shulick

New Attendee Coordinator: Cat Morrow

Library: Debbie Russell

Treasurer: Sharon Farrell

Facilitators: Cindy Walter, Tara/Melissa Chico, Diane/Kenny

Allison, Deanna Dillon, Sharon Farrell, Cat Morrow,

Debbie Russell, Donna Ruboyianes

Regional Coordinators:

Barb & Gene Caligari, Chandler, AZ;

Denise Dean

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A National self-help, non-profit organization for families who have

experienced the death of a child

THE TUCSON CHAPTER

P.O. 30733

Tucson, AZ 85751-0733

Return Service Requested

January-February 2020

We’re sorry for the reason you’re here, but we’re

glad you’ve found us. –Tucson TCF

Tucson Chapter Meetings: CHRIST CHURCH

UNITED METHODIST 655 N. CRAYCROFT

Second and Fourth Wednesdays 7:00pm-9:00pm

January 8, 22 February 12, 26 March 11, 25

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

Paid

Tucson, AZ

Permit No. 2296