Gathering 1: What Is Grief?

You are warmly invited to the first gathering of Tending the Sacred, a community grief circle created as a space for reflection, connection, remembrance, and being with grief in community.

Grief can accompany death, but it can also arise through many other forms of loss and change—relationships, health, identity, belonging, unrealized hopes, transitions, ecological loss, and experiences that may be difficult to name.

During our first gathering, we will gently explore:

• What grief is and the many forms it can take

• Our personal and cultural relationships with grief

• What it might mean to move from a grief-phobic culture toward a more grief-supportive one

• Reflection, grounding, and optional sharing

• The role of remembrance, ritual, and community in tending grief

• The co-creation of a communal memorial space

An optional invitation:

If you would like, you are welcome to bring a small meaningful item from home to contribute to our memorial space during the gathering.

This does not need to be anything expensive or precious. It might be a small memento or token, a photograph, a written name or word, a piece of fabric, a natural object, or simply something that carries meaning for you.

Please bring only something you feel comfortable placing in a shared space for the duration of the gathering and taking home with you afterward.

Bringing an item is completely optional. Materials will also be available, and you are equally welcome to simply witness the creation of the space. You will never be required to explain what your item represents or share anything you would prefer to keep private.

There is no right way to participate and no right way to grieve. You may speak, remain quiet, reflect, pass, or simply be present.

Tending the Sacred is a community grief education and peer-support gathering. It is not group therapy, crisis care, or a substitute for professional mental-health or medical treatment.

Come exactly as you are.

All grief is valid.
All grief is welcome.
All grief is sacred.

Each gathering offers an opportunity to slow down, breathe, reflect, and simply be with others who understand. Through conversation, mindfulness, gentle reflection, practical coping tools, and meaningful connection, we create space where grief is honored—not rushed, minimized, judged, or carried alone.

Sharing is always optional. Some participants may wish to speak, while others may simply listen. Every level of participation is respected.

What to Expect

Each monthly gathering may include:

• Welcome and community agreements

• Gentle grounding or mindfulness practice

• Community check-in

• A monthly grief-related theme

• Optional sharing and compassionate listening

• Practical tools and self-care practices

• Reflection, remembrance, or a simple closing ritual

No previous experience is needed, and no book purchase or advance reading is required.

Facilitated with Compassionate Presence

The circle is co-facilitated by Emilyne Love and Christian Zia, founders of Oak Circle Wellness. Together they bring a trauma-informed, person-centered, and mindfulness-based approach to creating inclusive spaces where people feel safe, respected, and supported in their grief.

Emilyne's background includes holistic wellness, meditation, trauma-informed yoga, Reiki, sound healing, herbalism, coaching, and end-of-life care. Christian's experience in psychology, coaching, human services, and clinical mental health counseling provides a thoughtful foundation for compassionate listening and supportive community dialogue.

The gathering is offered in partnership with the Blue Water Doula Collective, whose end-of-life doulas serve as compassionate co-facilitators throughout the six-month pilot series. Participating doulas help welcome attendees, create a calm and nurturing environment, offer supportive presence, assist with mindfulness and reflective practices, share community resources, and gently support participants throughout the evening.

Together, the facilitators and doulas create a circle rooted in presence rather than fixing, honoring rather than minimizing, and walking alongside one another with compassion, dignity, and respect.

Everyone is Welcome

This gathering is open to adults of all backgrounds, identities, cultures, beliefs, and spiritual traditions. You do not need to identify with any particular religion or philosophy to attend.

This is a peer-support and educational community gathering. It is not group therapy, counseling, crisis intervention, or a substitute for mental health or medical care.

Details

Location
Blue Water Doula Collective
Huron Point Wellness Center at 2379 Military St, Port Huron, MI

Third Friday of Each Month
5:30–7:00 PM

Ongoing Dates

• September 18, 2026
• October 16, 2026
• November 20, 2026
• December 18, 2026
• January 15, 2027
• February 19, 2027

Free to Attend
Donations are gratefully accepted.

Preregistration is encouraged, and drop-in attendance is always welcome.

Our Intention

Our hope is that every person who enters this circle leaves feeling a little more supported, a little more connected, and a little less alone.

Together, we honor grief as a sacred expression of love and create a community where healing begins through compassionate presence, shared wisdom, and heartfelt connection.

"May every person moving through a sacred season of grief feel supported, witnessed, respected, and held in community."

RSVP at bluewaterdoulacollective@gmail.com. Drop ins welcome.