Remembering loved ones

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The Fayette County Chapter of The Compassionate Friends will host a local Candle Lighting, as the other chapters worldwide hold theirs, starting with a remembrance program at 6:15 p.m. on Dec. 13.

“We are a not-for-profit organization that helps parents, grandparents and siblings of deceased family members with a place to find common ground,” one of the local chapter founders, Robin Benson, said during an interview Friday. “Around the world, with different time zones, a candle will be lit every hour for the 24-hours, for these who have died and we are remembering.”

The program will be held at the Medical Arts Building II classroom at 1510 Columbus Ave. in Washington C.H. on the Fayette County Memorial Hospital campus. Candles will be lit at 7 p.m. and this event is open to the community and surrounding counties. There is no charge to attend and all are welcome.

“Grieving has no time line and everyone grieves differently,” Benson said. “We are here to support those families who have lost someone. We try and give them a safe place to talk or to cry and just speak about these loved ones. Each chapter holds this candle lighting on the second Sunday of December. There are about five or six chapters in Ohio and each try to provide a place where everyone has something in common and can be comfortable.”

If someone would like to send the name of a child, grandchild, brother or sister that you would like to have recognized during the candlelight service, send the information to The Compassionate Friends of Fayette County, 9347 White Oak Road, Mount Sterling, Ohio, 43143, or email the information to [email protected] by Dec. 7.

“Personally, I wish I had known about this years ago when I lost my son,” Benson said. “I think it would have helped me through the grieving process. It is just nice to be able to talk to someone who has experienced the same thing you have. It could be different circumstances, but the end result is the same.”

Contact Pam Melvin at (740) 490-8393 or Benson at (740) 572-6991 for additional information or to find out the next meeting time.

Compassionate Friends to hold candle lighting Dec. 13

By Martin Graham

[email protected]

Reach Martin Graham at (740) 313-0351 or on Twitter @MartiTheNewsGuy

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