In November ten bereaved fathers met for the first time as a group for an evening out together. We went bowling which provided the opportunity to be in a social setting while chatting with other dads. To be honest, I did not know how that would go. Would the setting be okay, would the music be too loud to talk, what would we even talk about? I always want to talk about my children, but sometimes the environment is just not right. All my concerns were unjustified. I felt that everyone appreciated the opportunity to be together, bowl and talk. The feedback I got was entirely positive, some even saying that they haven’t gone out like this for a very long time. I think just being with other dads who have a sense for what oneself might be feeling makes a difference.
At that meeting we decided we should do it again. A quick vote surfaced an interest in pool billard and a recommendation for a place. Since then I have made a reservation for us for the following date:
Sunday, January 26th
Time: 5:30pm
A Canucks game is on that night. The venue has a TV, one pool table and two dart boards. We will likely have the whole area to ourselves. I agreed that we will not need a separate waiter for the private area to get around reservation fees etc. Hence, we will pick up our own drinks at the bar. Pub food will be offered and I think it would be nice to grab a bite together, although you certainly don’t have to order if you don’t feel like it.
I am not going to give details about the location as I would like everyone to RSVP. I need to confirm the number of attendees with the venue. Please send me a message if you would like to attend before January 17. If you do not know me personally yet and don’t have my email address, please use the contact form to get in touch.
Note: this is simply a peer-to-peer get together, not a professional counselling or clinical mental health program. If you are in an acute life-threatening crisis or in need of something beyond peer-to-peer support, please contact the Crisis Centre or call 1-800-7842433.
