When her son died of cancer, Josiane’ s anger was was so intense that she felt like “smashing everything”. Her very religious husband insisted that she did a mourning break at Montligeon. Skeptical at first, she surrendered. A few days later, she felt a real sense of peace. Read her account on the anger in grief.
I came to Montligeon following the death of my son from cancer 6 months ago, to take a mourning break and get comfort. I really didn’t want to attend, I was crying, but my husband forced me. Three days after the end of the session, I felt I was calming down, although I’d been angry enough to smash everything. I feel much better now and I intend to come back.
My anger
My husband and I have no place to recollect, no grave where we can pray because our son was cremated. His ashes will be scattered at sea. As my husband is very religious, I said to him, “Listen, we’re going to enroll Olivier at Chapelle-Montligeon.” So his first and last name are here*. This was of great comfort to us.
Montligeon will be a place of recollection for the rest of my life. It will be as if my son had his grave here.
Peace followed the anger of bearevement
I went through the whole process at the halte-deuil and opened my heart sincerely. I am not going to tell you the prayers I said, because they just came spontaneously. What then? It will be as God wills! But I wasn’t at all expecting the kind of relief I’m getting today, not right away anyway. So much the better.
“Maybe my son’s death will open doors for me”.
I will do everything I can to keep that peace and get better. I also think that other things will improve. Perhaps the death of my son, however unimaginable, will open other doors for me. But that is not the end of it either, because mourning doesn’t go away in a snap of a finger.
Here we find comfort and support. No one taps on your shoulder saying, “Come on, it’s nothing, you know, it’s life.” Yes, that’s life, but then what?
I feel good here. Although I am a rather skeptical girl, I will definitely come back. I came in tears, I saw, I felt things and now I just have to keep going. I thank God for sending me here in the end.
