  |
|
|
|
 |
Nan and Gary are
certified grief educators and survivors of five sudden deaths. Since 1993,
they have struggled on the journey through grief to turn their tragedy into
triumph. Part of this is giving their testimony for healing grief based on
their own story. It’s been a journey of great “work” and they remind their
audience that it is never ending. Though the intensity of grief diminishes,
the pain has softened and given them reason to help other people.
(Read more about the Zastrows through their
Bio or
in the article, “Why
Wings?”)
Here’s an opportunity
for Nan and Gary to bring their story to your church group, your civic
function, your business or organization, or any group of people gathered
together who want to know more about healing their grief.
Each
title can be adapted for a presentation or hands-on workshop of
varying lengths. Details regarding length of time, fees, and content
can be determined when an agreement is made. |
|
Understanding Grief - Community, Caregivers & Bereaved |
|
|
|
How Do You Fold Your Socks?
Grieving Differently |
Beyond the facts that we all grieve differently and
the truism that the loss of a child is devastating, Nan and Gary
share the realities of "Your Way - My Way" based on their personal
experiences of grieving differently and in some ways, the same. They
candidly look back at their errors and omissions and validate the
most important decision they made. Learn how they challenged the
statistics to survive this loss together and understand why "being
normal again" was no longer a desirable goal.
Keynote Presentation at the National Bereaved Parents-USA
Conference, New York City, 2009. |
|
|
|
Misleading Grief Myths - Common Sense Realities
How to Know the Difference |
Myths are powerful forces that influence our thoughts
and actions when we grieve. But, things aren’t always what they
seem. Society teaches us to believe that grief is a time of weakness
and this sometimes misleads our efforts to heal. This also may
happen because friends have not had their own significant grief
experience and don’t understand the process involved in healing from
a loss. Learn about the myths and how to use common sense to heal
your grief or help a bereaved friend. |
|
|
|
Ask Me
- Things I Want You to Know About Being a Survivor of Suicide |
Breaking the silence about suicide, Nan and Gary
expose their feelings and their experience with the unspeakable
taboo. Both speak frankly, not with bitterness or despair, but with
a desire to share what they have tried to teach others about
responding to traumatic loss. Using ideas from Nan’s book Ask Me -
30 Things I Want You To Know, they openly answer the questions
people ask.
Workshop presented at the National Bereaved Parents USA, New York
City, 2009 |
|
|
|
Companioning the Bereaved
What works and What Doesn't |
A general presentation/or workshop for the
non-bereaved and caregivers to acquaint them with the impact of
grief in someone’s life Understand the factors that influence the
intensity of grief and listen to recommended ways to be helpful and
honor the individual’s feelings and the person who died. Works great
as a presentation. When given as a workshop this involves hands on
activities in small groups. Great for casual presentations with time
for questions. Presented often to lay ministry, church groups, and
community organizations. |
|
|
|
The Sacred Work of Grief - Our Path to Healing |
Nan & Gary share how their lives were changed as the
result of unthinkable tragedy to livable triumph through the sacred
work of grief. They share what they learned about life’s assumptions
that aren’t necessarily true; and how they changed their grief to
mourning. They discuss their social struggles with the taboo of
suicide and their
challenges to faith. Learn how one decision they made helped them
transform their experiences into hope--without an answer to the
question of "why?" Great for casual presentations with time for
questions. Presented often to lay ministry, church groups, and
community organizations. |
|
|
|
Holiday Programs to Assist the Bereaved |
|
|
|
How a Fortune Cookie Can Heal Grief (Customized for holiday but can
be used as a program to provide the bereaved with inspiration and
hope, any time.) |
Did you ever think a fortune cookie could offer a
profound message that offers comfort, happiness, and peace is a life
stressed by grief? Sometimes holiday festivities and
commercialization remind us of what we are missing rather than the
blessings we have. Discover "something good" in the unpredictability
or receiving the 12 Gifts of Hope
through acts of kindness. The delightful twist in this program can
only be interpreted as inspiration and good fortune.
Workshop presented at the National Bereaved Parents USA Conference
in New York City, 2009. |
|
|
|
The Legend of the Ebber -(an "Ebber" is an emotion that nudges your
grief.) |
This delightful holiday program captures the
participant’s attention through rhyme and the voice of the reader as
he tells about the antics of a rascal character called the Ebber.
The Ebber’s persona is that of causing grievers pain - and he is so
named because of those painful grief bursts he brings to the
bereaved. In this legend, the Ebber is
miraculously transformed through the bereaved’s discovery of how to
turn grief into joy - a lesson for all. The story alone (without
using it as a program) is destined to be a classic and you will want
to read each holiday season.
Featured workshop at the World Gathering for the Bereaved,
Vancouver, BC, 2005. |
|
|
|
Something Old, Something New, Something Just to Get You Through |
A heart-warming program that helps participants
explore the memories of past holidays (the Way it Was), and preserve
meaningful traditions this holiday after the death of someone loved
(The Way It Is). Offers them 3 gifts of the Past, The Present, and
the Future that can help them cope with holiday grief and plan for
the future (The Way It Can Be). Bring this program to your community
or purchase the program guide and present it yourself. Some "props"
required. This program was successfully presented as a community
program. |
|
|
|
Taming
the Holiday Blues |
Holiday Blues are characterized by sadness that is
magnified during the holidays after the death of a love done. In
this program, participants will hear letters from Dear Carin that
address the dilemmas of changing traditions and coping with others
are feeling seasonal joy. The facilitator leads the group to
discover ways to gain control over their
fears and frustrations and prepare them for holiday events that are
inescapable, but manageable. Bring this program to your community or
purchase the program guide and present it yourself. Some "props"
required. This program was successfully presented as a community
program. |
|
|
|
One is
Silver and the Other Gold |
In this program, determine which traditions are
silver and which are gold and weigh the value of both. Find out how
to create a silver lining to help you through the holidays. "I
believe we are here for a reason. I believe that as each day
unfolds; we see less of a shadow, and more of the sun. Less of the
tarnish and more of the gold." Bring this
program to your community or purchase the program guide and present
it yourself. Some "props" required. This program was successfully
presented as a community program. |
|
|
|
A Glimpse of our Speaking Experiences |
|
|
|
In the past ten years, Nan and Gary have given a variety of
presentations to groups. Beginning in 2003, this will become a greater
part of their community work. They have a variety of subjects ready to
present. Nan and Gary have presented their stories and ideas about
healing grief to a wide-variety of organizations. Each presentation is
built around their own grief experiences and what they have learned from
others on the same journey. When presenting together, they easily
compliment each other’s grief styles and share amusing stories about
their experience. They offer suggestions; not advice for caregivers.
They offer audience interaction when applicable and sensitivity to
personal grief. Here are a few of the organizations they have presented
to:
2005 –World
Gathering on Bereavement, Vancouver, BC
Employee
Assistance Professionals, Keynote at State Convention
Mount Olive
Lutheran Church—Home Ministry Program
Trinity Lutheran
Church, Wausau—Adult Bible Study
Missouri Synod
Ministry Program
WI First
Responders Convention-Keynote
Daughters of the
American Revolution
WI Funeral
Directors Association
Noon Optimists
Annually, since
1997, When the Holidays Hurt Programs, Wausau community
|
To
schedule dates, please consider about 3 months notices for
availability.
Contact Nan Zastrow at Wings.
P. O. Box 1051, Wausau, WI 54401
wings1@charter.net or
nangary@mail.com
(715) 845-4159 |
