It was an average February day in Florida and Marie's day was going along as usual. She was taking care of a few details around the house. Nothing special was going on. That afternoon there was a knock on the door and it was a female police officer who said, "Are you Maria James?" Marie felt a bit nervous. "Yes, I am," she said. "Why? Has something happened?"
The officer went on to tell her how there had been a motorcycle accident and in the best way she knew how, she informed Marie that her son had died in this one vehicle crash. She almost blacked out. She felt like she was checking out of her body. It was shock, disbelief! The officer stayed with her and did her best to support this grieving mother. Someone from the Crisis Center came and with quiet kindness, he stayed with her for hours on that fateful afternoon.
Marie knew she needed help. She went to her therapist and got his support. He referred her to Transforming Grief Specialist, Shanti Vani, and they set up an appointment right away. The work they did over the next year and beyond helped her to live and even to find enjoyment and engagement in life. To this mother, he was her one person. Now there was no son who would take care of her later in life. There would be no grandchildren.
Through the work of Transforming Grief, Marie has experienced herself falling apart. Now she is putting her life back together again as a new, refreshed version of herself emerges.