For more information, e-mail Suzanne  or call 314.953.1806.

Spouses and partners of those who have passed away are invited to participate in Threshold^SM, a weekly grief support group sponsored by BJC Hospice. Most widowed spouses or partners, between the ages of 30 and 60 are working to support their families, are in the midst of their careers and often are parenting their children.

The loss -- whether anticipated due to lingering terminal illness, or unexpected -- is a calamity for these young to middle-aged adults. They were used to sharing household and family decisions and responsibilities with their spouses in the present, and dreamed of meaningful futures together. Many enjoyed, too, a playful companionship that seems irreplaceable. After their spouse's death, these widows and widowers often feel lost and empty, overwhelmed with sorrow, anxious or angry, and wonder how to face their new lives alone.

"Threshold is not a cure," says Dale Chavis, BJC Hospice. "Grief can't be fixed. The safe and intimate comfort of a group of people that understands, facilitated by a counseling and bereavement professional, can make the grief journey into the next life stage less lonely and more manageable."

The Threshold program begins with three or four meetings scheduled over a month's time. Several of these core groups are held during the year and usually consist of eight or fewer people who tell their stories and explore the grief process together. Those who wish are then encouraged to participate in the ongoing monthly meetings, held on the second Tuesday of every month. This second group provides support to participants who are confronting the challenges and potentials of widowed life.