Our Mission:
Helping widowed people move through bereavement
toward spiritual and emotional wholeness

If you’ve been widowed, you know that it feels as though a part of your heart has been torn out!

If you haven’t been widowed, you can’t understand how long it takes for a widowed family member or friend of yours to “get back to normal” after the death of his or her partner.

Becoming widowed means every minute of your life has changed. It takes some time for you to adjust to and handle the stress that all of this constant change creates.

That is why new widows/widowers seem “not their usual selves.” Being widowed throws who you are out of balance. A short temper, short memory, short concentration are all are signs of always refocusing and adjusting to all the changes in your mind and spirit.

Joyful Again! is a spiritual program for widows and widowers who want to resolve the normal grief they feel after losing their spouse and who want to begin to start to live fully again. It may be months or even years since your spouse passed away. Only you can decide if you are ready to move forward, these questions may help answer “Am I Ready?”

Joyful Again! Retreats are a self-help process toward healing. All retreats are led by trained peer ministers who have experienced the pain of loss themselves and have moved forward in their healing journey.

Over the years, our program has served thousands of all faiths and ages. We began in the Chicago area over three decades ago, and now have several chapters around the country. Each chapter is directed by a local Board of Directors who have walked along your path.

We are not a replacement for other counselors or grief groups. In fact, the Joyful Again! weekend complements programs that address grief immediately after a death.

Joyful Again! is there months (and even years) afterward to help you resolve ongoing grief or help you move forward if you feel stuck. We also help you embrace all you’ve gone through as you now prepare to move on with your life.