Crossing the Line Blog Series Being Published in Grieving Behind the Badge e-newsletter
What is Grieving Behind the Badge?
Peggy Sweeney is the founder and president of the Sweeney Alliance, a non-profit company providing educational programs, resources, and support services for families and professionals coping with traumatic events. Since 1997, she has taught her Grieving Behind the Badge program for firefighters/EMS, police and correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, their families, and department chaplains throughout the United States and Canada. Grieving Behind the Badge is committed to improving the lives of emergency response professionals.
Here’s a snapshot of Maryanne’s Crossing the Line 10-part blog series:
When Maryanne Pope’s husband, Cst John Petropoulos of the Calgary Police Service, died in the line of duty in 2000 as the result of a preventable fall at an unsafe workplace, Maryanne went into a freefall of her own into grief and depression – and a determination to ensure positive change came from tragedy.
“A challenge can spark post-traumatic growth – positive psychological change caused by a stressful or traumatic event. It can create a deep sense of meaning and purpose.”
– Unknown
Crossing the Line is a blog series about Maryanne’s experience of coming to terms with her husband’s death and working with the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund to help create a culture of safer workplaces for everyone, including emergency responders. Though Maryanne’s professional commitment has been as an advocate for the physical safety of first responders, much of her writing and public speaking has been about the emotional, psychological and spiritual impacts of learning to accept the unacceptable and transform hurt into hope.
Here is the link to the January 2014 Grieving Behind the Badge e-newsletter with Maryanne’s first blog entitled, Awakening; Tragedy as a Wake-Up Call.
If you are interested in reading the entire Crossing the Line blog series, here is the link to subscribe to the Grieving Behind the Badge e-newsletter.
About Maryanne Pope
Maryanne is the author of A Widow’s Awakening and the upcoming book, Barrier Removed; A Tough Love Guide to Achieving Your Dreams. Maryanne is the Chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund and the CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions Inc. Maryanne is the playwright of Saviour and also writes screenplays. She lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.