JOIN THE OPEN CHAIR MOVEMENT
What if we allowed space to remember our loved ones, to say their names, to tell their stories, to hold the empty, open chair with reverence?
What if, instead of running from grief, we stopped and honored it as we WALK ON in our life journeys?
The Open Chair Movement is a dynamic reminder of the loved ones we carry in our hearts. No matter where you are, simply look for an open chair and place the card upon the open chair in your city, town, village, school, hospital, church, community center, town square, park bench, bus, subway, airport, library or any other place you might encounter an empty, open chair and allow the message on the card to compel people to sit, to remember someone who they loved deeply, to honor her or him with a quiet, reflective moment or prayer, and then to walk on and pass the card on to another empty, open chair for another human to experience it.
Grief is the most universal of human experiences, yet it is the one we most often avoid. Every single one of us will encounter loss, whether of a loved one, a dream, a relationship, a future we imagined, a health condition, or otherwise. And yet, when grief comes, society urges us to hide it, rush through it, or silence it with platitudes. We live in a culture that celebrates strength, but rarely understands that true strength is not the absence of sorrow, but rather the willingness to face it head on. Yes, our vulnerability is our strength. Don’t ever confuse vulnerability for weakness!
When we run from grief, we run from love itself, because grief is simply love’s shadow. It is the echo of all that mattered deeply. To deny our grief is to deny the depth of our connection, the weight of our memories, the truth of our humanity and our connection to one another.
Grief, when honored, does not diminish us. It reshapes us. It reminds us that love never dies, that those we’ve lost remain with us in the legacy we carry forward. By giving grief its rightful place, we do not stay trapped in sorrow, but are freed to walk on with greater compassion, courage, and peace.
Your pain is only part of you, it's not the end of you.
If you would like to receive some Open Chair cards, please email your name and mailing address to: stephenbuschpanus@gmail.com
Thank you for joining and supporting The Open Chair Movement!
Peace & Love - Stephen Panus