Navigating Grief and Loss Around the Holidays

This is a hard topic to write about, and my heart feels heavy just thinking about all of the people who it impacts. The sweet woman who works at the gym daycare was just telling me how hard this year is going to be for her, as it’s the first holiday season without her husband and daughter.

Loss can feel even heavier around the holidays. The family events and traditions can be a poignant reminder of who you are missing. I’m not going to pretend that there’s some magical thing that can take the pain away. As much as I wish that were possible, it’s not.

But, there are a couple things that can help with the grieving process.

Talk about them.

Tell your friends and family stories about them.

Keep the pictures up.

Don’t be afraid of the sadness and the grief. They are indications that you had (and still have) something special, something worth remembering.

If you are a member of a church with the Grief Share program, it can be incredibly beneficial to be around other people experiencing similar grief and loss. There’s so much healing that can be found in knowing someone else can relate.

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”