North Topsail Beach proved to be the perfect location for a gathering of leaders in the Grieving Moms Finding Hope nonprofit.
Respite came in the form of sand, salt water, gentle breezes and even a few kites.
As the leaders of a group called Grieving Moms Finding Hope came from across the country to gather in North Topsail Beach in April, they not only learned more about how to guide others through grief, but also found inspiration in the beauty of Topsail Island.
The international organization focuses on supporting mothers who have lost children of all ages. They emphasize the “finding hope” part of their group name as that is the mission they work toward through their meetings and other activities.
Founder Jacke Rose lost her son to suicide in 2016. Seeing a need to support other mothers walking through the same grief, she launched Grieving Moms Finding Hope in 2017.
After losing her son, she was inspired to write a book, Resurfacing, which has become a guidebook for grieving moms. Rose had previously founded a women’s mountain biking group, Trail Angels, and recently released a book about that and her healing grief journey called Landslide: A Journey Through Unthinkable Grief Into Unshakable Grace.
“So, the question that is always asked in this ministry is, in the beginning, ‘Why God?’” Rose says. “And then after some healing takes place, moms usually go into a place of, ‘What do you want me to do with this, God?’”
For Rose, the answer came clearly.
“I heard there was a way to combat the darkness,” she says. “I jumped in full force and I said, ‘What do you want me to do?’ And I started to write out the 12 weeks.”
The 12 weeks became the book Resurfacing, about the “landslide” that occurs when a mother loses a child, an avalanche of emotions, the group explains. The guidebook and the organization as a whole are designed to promote hope and healing.
The group’s leaders conduct Zoom meetings, in person meetings and Facebook Live sessions to help others move through those 12 weeks and beyond. Some also host meetings in their homes, for mothers who are in their local area.
The group reaches women across the United States and in other countries, including South Africa and Australia. Rose and her administrative assistant, Stacy Rightmire, are based in Oregon. Leaders who attended the retreat in North Topsail Beach came from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Washington and Arizona.
They chose North Topsail Beach for their retreat when a local leader, Lynne Carroll, was able to arrange a house on the island for the group to use over the weekend.
Carroll lost her son to a car accident in 2021. She discovered the group Grieving Moms Finding Hope.
“The women I met understood my heartbreak,” she says. “I have learned that grief is not something we ‘get over,’ but something we carry and walk through daily.”
Several local businesses supported the leaders, with a restaurant and a church providing meals. Everyone in attendance agreed this is a beautiful island and a beautiful place to come for a retreat.
One of their activities during the retreat included a morning of kite making on the beach. Each of the kites and most of their other projects, Carroll explains, are “always to honor our children.”
The leaders wear necklaces designed by one of Rose’s friends. Shaped like a heart, she says, the necklaces are engraved with their child’s name and heaven date on the back.
The North Topsail Beach retreat was specifically for leaders to learn from Rose and from each other and to get inspired to continue their work throughout the year. In the fall, the organization hosts a retreat for grieving moms. This year, that event will be held in Texas.
After their experience on Topsail Island, though, they say they will probably be back for either another leader retreat or for the annual, bigger session.
Their weekend of training, inspiration and respite included beautiful views of the sound side with a spectacular show of nature at sunset and a short walk across the street to the ocean side of the island to enjoy the grand sunrise. All agreed they were ready to come back for a future retreat.
Grieving Moms Finding Hope is a nonprofit organization and relies on volunteers to lead the group sessions. They also rely on corporate sponsorships and support such as the donations they received while in North Topsail Beach. They plan to begin reaching out to local churches and other organizations to promote their work and to gather additional support for their activities.
Getting the word out about their work is part of their mission, as all of the leaders agree that no mother should go through the grieving process alone. They want to help and emphasize that it doesn’t matter whether it has been a few days or decades since the mother lost her child. They point out that one mother who had lost her child 30 years ago recently joined a 12-week session feeling she still needed the group’s support and the guidance they provide to work through her grief.
A faith-based group, part of the Grieving Moms Finding Hope mission states that “the journey of grief can be isolating, but we firmly believe that together, we can heal and grow stronger.”
“We want the word out that there is a place of healing and hope for women who’ve experienced the loss of a child,” Carroll says.
SOLACE FOR GRIEVING MOTHERS
Grieving Moms Finding Hope
grievingmoms.com
GrievingMomsFindingHope
