Butterfly Bereavement Project. Aldona.
Aldona Morrison’s work in art therapy and collaboration with grief counsellor, Louise Sallese, has touched the lives of over 4000 participants in the last 3 years. So vital to honour losses and grief in a meaningful way and as this project continues to grow. I cannot help but be moved by their caring use of expression and thoughtful symbolism, for individuals’ to contribute to… an accumulation of feelings shares here and being held. The Butterfly Bereavement project was installed at Headwaters Health Care Centre in Orangeville for the month of November to honour National Grief and Bereavement Day and Children's Grief Awareness Day. Thank you for sharing Aldona. I imagine this project resonated with so many who were seeking meaning and support in their grief journeys.
This community project engaged the public in personalizing vellum butterflies with colour and expressions of personal grief, love and hope. Whether it was through community agencies, libraries or through Bethell Hospice or Headwaters Health Care Centre, participants were creating something which would not only honour those who have experienced grief but also visually present the idea that loss is a universal experience and while there are lonely moments, one does not need to feel alone in it.
Butterflies represent hope and symbolize transformation and are used around the world to raise awareness about grief and bereavement. Vellum paper was chosen for its ethereal quality and the unique beauty that comes when colour catches the light. Illustrator, Rasa Morrison, designed the butterfly display in a way that both guides the user and allows for personal expression.
This project has grown since its inception at Bethell Hospice three years ago when Spiritual Care and Grief Counsellor, Louise Sallese, and Art Therapist, Aldona Morrison first imagined the idea. Since that time, Bethell Hospice Supportive Care Programs Manager, Natalie Talma, partnered with the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team’s Grief and Bereavement Working Group and Headwaters Health Care Centre to expand the Butterfly Bereavement Project.
As a result, as one looks up at the kaleidoscope of butterflies, they are witnessing the expressions of love and loss, the stories, the hopes and the messages and memories of over 4,000 people.
The circular patterns represent several things-wholeness, unity, a sense of belonging and the cyclical nature of our existence. On the window are the words, "You are not alone" spiralling upwards like a butterfly, like the trail of our memories--never fully gone.
〰 Aldona
Aldona Morrison • B.A. BEd, DTATI, RP (Qualifying)
〰 Betthel Hospice Virtual Art Therapy information link here
Aldona Morrison came to practice art therapy at the end of her teaching career and has found that it is a way to connect meaningfully with others through a medium that she feels can be incredibly powerful. Her approach to therapy is client-centered and humanistic. She knows that it is important to honour every individual’s life experience and believes that strength and courage can be found even in the most difficult of life’s situations. She has offered individual and group art therapy at Bethell since 2019.
Betthel Hospice Info.
Website • https://bethellhospice.org/
Youtube: BethellHospiceFoundation • LinkedIn •
“Bethell Hospice provides compassionate, respectful 24-hour care in our hospice residence in Inglewood, ON to enhance the quality of life for individuals facing a life-limiting illness and their families. Hospice services are an essential component of our health care system, focusing on individualized care and comfort. Bethell Hospice also offers a range of community programs and services for individuals still residing in their own homes. Dignity and comfort are the cornerstones of care at Bethell Hospice”
Headwaters Health Care Centre Info.
Website: www.headwatershealth.ca
“Headwaters is pleased to host the 2024 Butterfly Bereavement Project once again within our beautiful Ambulatory Care hallway,” said Kim Delahunt, President and CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre. “As a hospital, and together with our health systems partners, we are enmeshed in the grief and bereavement journeys of our patients and community. In addition, as a workshop site for more custom butterfly creations during National Bereavement Month, Headwaters is proud to offer both a physical and symbolic space to express and process bereavement,” added Delahunt.”
National Bereavement Awareness Day • Info.
Website: https://www.chpca.ca/awareness/national-grief-and-bereavement-day/
National Bereavement Awareness Day 〰 the third Tuesday in November • Resources
“The third Tuesday in November marks the annual National Grief and Bereavement Day in Canada. On this day, CHPCA encourages Canadians to engage government and all sectors of Canadian society in a national dialogue to identify and support access to the necessary resources for those living with grief and bereavement.”
Children’s Grief Awareness Day • Info.
Website: www.childrensgriefawarenessday.org
Children’s Grief Awareness Day 〰 the third Thursday in November • Resources
“Created in 2008 by the Highmark Caring Place, A Center for Grieving Children, Adolescents and Their Families, and since recognized by organizations around the world, Children’s Grief Awareness Day is observed every year on the third Thursday in November.
Children’s Grief Awareness Day seeks to bring attention to the fact that often support can make all the difference in the life of a grieving child. It provides an opportunity for all of us to raise awareness of the painful impact that the death of a loved one has in the life of a child, an opportunity to make sure that these children receive the support they need.”