February Newsletter * Tu Nidito

Dear Friends,

Our team has been talking about the meaning of grief as we build a new website for Tu Nidito. These conversations affirm that grief has a different meaning for those who grieve. As I reflected on my feelings and thoughts about grief, I remembered this poem. Which I find so powerful.

This is my valentine for all of you.

I grieve different each day.

Sometimes it is fierce,

Debilitating and painful.

And other days it is

A dull, familiar pain

That buries itself within my bones.

Each passing day

Is a reminder of what will never be.

So I grieve-

For the days you won’t get to see,

The moments you’ve missed,

I grieve-

For the days passed since I last held you,

And the days left here on earth

Without you.

I grieve-

Because I miss the sound of your voice,

And the smirk on your face

When you’d laugh.

I grieve-

Because that is the price we pay

When we love so deeply.

Grief is a debt I will pay

For the rest of my life.

Until it is my turn to rest,

Eternally in Heaven, with you.

It has been said

That grief is just love

With nowhere to go.

And I think they were right

Because this grief

Sits heavily within me,

Constantly rattling my cage,

To remind me it’s here to stay.

I will grieve for as long as I love you,

Which is

Eternity.

Poem Credit -

Jessica VanNeste, Grief The Unspoken

Sincerely yours,

Liz McCusker,

Executive Director

BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Andy Townsend

Andy first came to Tu Nidito as a volunteer where he served as a group facilitator from 2008 to 2018. As he reached his 10-year milestone mark as a volunteer he shared that he had gained tremendously on a variety of levels personally and professionally. He enjoyed his contribution and interactions with the Wednesday 1 group but felt it was time for him to serve in a new capacity.

Our ED, Liz shared "Andy wanted to do something more for Tu Nidito and was eager to serve in a leadership role". He joined the Board in 2018 where he continues to impact those who grieve. Liz also shared that Andy appreciates that as a board member he is expected to visit support groups. He loves returning to his old group night to reconnect with his fellow volunteers.

Andy’s professional career is in education where he has served as: a Teacher, Athletics Coach, Middle School Assistant Principal, Elementary School Principal and now as the Executive Director of Student Services for the Sunnyside School District.

I asked Andy why it is important to work with children, “Most of us can look back on our own childhood and remember a person or people who made a difference in our life. As cliché as it may sound, it's important for all of us who work with children to be that person who makes a positive difference, an impact. Someone they remember”.

When reflecting on Tu Nidito, he shared, “Since 2008, Tu Nidito has been a unique and inspirational part of my life. My original intent as a volunteer was to give, but I quickly realized that I was gaining and growing as well. It's a place where adults and children alike can grow through grief in a safe and supportive environment”.

When not working in the school district or volunteering with Tu Nidito, Andy enjoys spending time with his new wife and their baby tortoises. He is an avid runner, traveler and UA sports fan. He reads history for fun and is a self-proclaimed crazy person who runs up and down Tumamoc Hill regularly.

Happening at The Nest this Month...

In February our littles and middles will start the month talking about what hurts and heals their hearts. They will hold a paper heart and tear it a little as they share their hurts. Then, they will use a band aid to repair the rip and talk about what makes them feel better when they are hurting. They will end the month with the book “The Invisible String” by Patrice Karst. They will share who they miss and who they would like connected to their own invisible string. They will craft strings of beads to help them remember they are always connected to those they love.

Teens will select grief quotes that resonate with them to write on a pair of paper hearts – one to take home and one to leave hanging at Tu Nidito to comfort and inspire others. In the second half of the month they will go deep and talk about the parts of themselves they have to hide since their special person died and what they show the world. They will work on unique self-portraits that show their inner and outer selves.

SAVE THE DATE!