Silver Linings: Honoring Our Past, Funding Our Future

Join us for a night of food, fun, and purpose in celebration of The Healing Center's 25th anniversary!

We'll be gathering at the Tyee Yacht Club on the shores of Lake Union. There will be plenty of delicious food (including vegan and gluten free options) and fun (including a raffle and live auction).

Why is the event called Silver Linings?

While it's partly inspired by our silver anniversary, the meaning is deeper.

For grievers being "silver-lining-ed" is an everyday occurrence. Well-meaning family and friends are uncomfortable seeing our suffering and are desperate to say something to make things better. 

"At least your husband didn't suffer."
"At least your kids are already grown."
"At least you still have your dad."

But there is no making it better, no words that can fill the space of what has been lost. Hearing these "at leasts", only make grievers feel more alone and more invisible.

As beloved author Brené Brown says, when someone is suffering, "rarely can a response make things better; what makes something better is connection".

The Healing Center is where that connection happens. Together we make space for grief to be honored and shared. It’s a place where grievers can show up exactly as they are—heartbroken, furious, exhausted, terrified—and be met with empathy and acceptance. 

"I understand."
"You're not alone." 
"Me too."

This connection is its own kind of silver lining—not an empty silver lining of "at least," but a true one: that in the face of immense suffering, we can turn to each other and be seen. This is the silver lining for which we've named our event. 

In the words of our clients:

"The whole world was telling me that I didn’t fit in. But at The Healing Center, I didn’t feel different, and for the first time I had friends that were like me, who had experienced the same types of loss.”

“What a relief to be in the company of other parents navigating the experience of recent loss.”  

"I used to think I was the only one who lost a mommy or daddy, but now I know I'm not alone."

"For many weeks and even months, group was the only thing that kept me going."