Groups should also offer support for major life cycle events such as births, attainment of adulthood, marriage, becoming a parent, divorce, and death. Naturalistic Humanist communities will probably experiment with a variety of approaches to acknowledge or celebrate such events. Including components of Naturalistic Support in these events will lead to new and innovative developments.
Many lifecycle events actually warrant more support than a single event. Instead the Naturalistic Humanist community can offer a series of support meetings with the final event celebrating completion of the cycle.
Imagine if birth events included a cycle of meetings for parents to express their hopes and fears, hear about the parenting journey of others, and learn some baby parenting skills.
Imagine if a coming of age celebration was preceded by a series of groups which included open discussion about human sexuality, birth control, the pressures of becoming an adult, making healthy choices regarding alcohol, recreational substances, driving safety, social media, and dealing with anxiety by incorporating tools like meditation.
There can also be experimental rites of passage in which the person being initiated into the young adult community confronts a physical, emotional, intellectual, or artistic challenge, chosen by the initiate. Substances which inspire questions about the nature of reality might also be useful as part of a rite of passage celebration. Since many young people are likely to be engaged in substance related experimentation on their own, a community offering a more structured, monitored, and goal oriented experience could offer a healthy complement and model. Ideally, a Naturalistic Humanist community rite of passage experience should be a relatively safe brush with danger.
A marriage celebration could be preceded by a series focusing on intimate communication and fighting fair. In the case of people separating or divorcing, a series of groups supporting the transition and focusing on neither blaming themselves nor their partner could help reduce suffering.