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When Edna Mann joined the Grief and
Loss support group at Life Enrichment Services she never
thought she might find a new husband. After her first
husband passed away, Mann said she felt sure that she
would be just fine by herself. But she was lonely at
times.
“Widowed persons feel excluded from certain
groups since they don’t have a partner,”
Mann said. “Being in a support group helps people
to be able to get together, socialize, and not feel
like a third wheel. You meet a whole new group of friends.”
Mann heard about Life Enrichments Services’ program
from a friend and decided to try it out. She decided
to go on the support group’s retreat weekend in
Fort Yargo. There were many dancing activities and she
had no partner. Her eyes fell on Bill Mann and they
decided to become dancing partners. Four years later,
they decided to get married. They were married for eight
years this past May.
At that time, Mann was head counselor for the Grief
and Loss support group. She was also state coordinator
for the group, focusing on education and the importance
of grief counseling.
Mann said she believes that counseling is important,
no matter how long the person has been widowed. People
who have lost someone close to them can talk about whatever
they are feeling, what kind of help they need, in a
single or group setting. Mann said she finds that most
people preferred the group setting since they could
relate to others who were going through the same situation.
Some members have claimed that they don’t know
how they could have gotten along without the support
of the group. The group also helped those in the group
out with situations they didn’t know how to respond
to on their own, such as finances or cooking lessons.
Mann said she believes that the support group is a great
place to share feelings, but a person has to talk through
their own grief. The most important tool one can use
to deal with a grieving person is a listening ear, she
believes.
Contrary to many rumors, the Grief and Loss support
group is NOT a dating service, even though some members
now have successful marriages. Persons of any age who
have lost a loved one are free to join the Grief and
Loss support group, which is sponsored by the national
AARP Grief and Loss Program and run through Life Enrichment
Services, Inc. at 1340 McConnell Drive, Decatur.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
call 404-321-6960.
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