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Word of the Month- Strength

• The Catholic Cemeteries Association

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Strength. It's a word we use often, but what does it really mean? In this second installment of our "Word of the Month" segment, we explore the multidimensional nature of strength and how it manifests in everyday life.

The summer sun shines brightly outside, mirroring the radiant energy of July's chosen word. But as we discover, true strength isn't always about being the brightest or the loudest. Sometimes, strength lies in the quiet moments—when you show up despite your pain, when you allow yourself to feel difficult emotions, or when you simply make it through another day while grieving.


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Speaker 1:

Welcome back to CC Airwaves. I'm Jen Cappsio.

Speaker 2:

And I'm Paige Mattillo. How are you doing today, Jen?

Speaker 1:

Can't complain. It's nice and sunny out right now. Here we go talking about the weather again.

Speaker 2:

Yep, but but it is officially summer and I am so excited that it's finally nice out, because we were hit with so much rain and I mean we just were recently hit with a heat wave. As we all know, that has not been great, but I think we're going to get to that sweet point now where everything is just lovely the rest of the season yeah, it's been nice.

Speaker 1:

I've just been. I have a lake season. Yeah, it's been nice. I have a lake in my neighborhood, so I've been seeing a lot of people just out and about by the lake relaxing, and it's been nice to see everyone all together outside, so it's been nice. I feel like summer energy is in the air and everyone's feeling good and upbeat these days. Exactly, do you have any fun summer plans, jen? At the moment I don't. You already went on vacation, so that's done. Exactly, so I have nothing to look forward to right now.

Speaker 2:

You have to look forward to the fest, which is August 3rd. You can come visit us. At our booth We'll be serving ice pops. That wasn't meant to be added A promotional thing but it worked out that way, so yes, the fest is August 3rd.

Speaker 1:

Come visit our booth and don't worry, that will probably not be the last time you guys get reminded about that? No, not at all. Well, getting back to it, we are excited for the second edition of CC Airwaves' newest segment Word of the Month. If you're not familiar with the Word of the Month, it is a singular word designed to provide comfort, encourage reflection and serve as a reminder of strength during difficult times.

Speaker 2:

We know life can feel overwhelming and we wanted to provide something small but meaningful that you can carry with you, a word to return to when you need to recenter or find balance. This month we're discussing the word strength.

Speaker 1:

This month brings the height of summer's radiance, and it feels fitting that our word reflects that energy. July symbolizes steady, enduring strength, the kind that isn't loud or showy, but constant and grounded. So according to the Webster Dictionary, strength is defined as the quality or state of being strong. But what does that actually mean? To me, strength is just, it's not just a physical state. I feel like there's so many things, different layers to what strength can mean.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's a great point, Jen. I mean, strength isn't just about being tough or resilient. It's not only the physical side, as you said. It's not about bottling up pain or pretending you're okay. Strength is often found in the quiet moments, when you show up even though you're hurting, and when you keep going, even if it's just one step at a time. I mean when we grieve. We experience a range of emotions, even if it's just one step at a time. I mean when we grieve, we experience a range of emotions sadness, anger, confusion and even numbness. And having strength doesn't mean that you avoid those feelings. True strength means that you let yourself feel them. So in that sense, strength also comes from an emotional side.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I agree, and I feel like there's a lot of power in simply being honest with yourself and others about what you're feeling, allowing yourself to feel those emotions, whether that is letting yourself cry or to talk to someone else about your loss or even just sitting in silence. That's strength, that is healing. And while strength can be quiet and internal, but it can also be reaching out for support, yeah, I mean, asking for help is one of the hardest things to do.

Speaker 2:

I mean, I know I have difficulty going to people for help and I can't even imagine that when you're grieving, but letting others in whether it's a friend, a family member, a counselor or a support group it takes courage and it does take strength to say that I need support right now. And the truth is that no one should grieve alone.

Speaker 1:

Grief doesn't just follow any sort of timeline. There's no right way to do it and sometimes it might feel impossible. But just existing or getting through the day, taking a deep breath and remembering your loved one, that's strength, and I feel like there's a lot of power to that, and just letting yourself kind of be. You know, you don't need to be moving mountains to be strong, and sometimes strength is just saying I'm still here and I'm still trying, and I think that's more than enough. And I think a lot of times people forget that, that you don't need to be this super strong person all the time.

Speaker 2:

Strength can just be getting through the day and taking one step at a time you know, I agree, strength means different things to different people, but it seems that that is all that we have for you guys today. So thank you so much for joining us on CC Airwaves for our newest segment, word of the Month, and remember to take this word with you throughout the rest of July. Be sure to check out last month's segment where we discussed the word balance if you missed it, and follow our social media and if you have any topics you want us to discuss on the podcast, send us a message at podcast, at CLECEMorg or any of our social media platforms.