Holiday Grief is Hard

Holiday Grief is Hard. It just is. Emotions are heightened, and some grievers find themselves shunning holidays, or perhaps sitting sadly by and muddling through. But this does not work well for many grievers who often end up feeling even worse after the holiday has come and gone. If this sounds familiar, perhaps another approach will works better you this year such as finding special ways of remembering, honoring — and including — lost loved ones.

You could start by setting-up a special area for candles representing lost loved ones that you light throughout the holiday season and at special gatherings (battery candles work great). Doing so has a special way of making loved ones a part of holidays.

Easing Holiday Grief

• Sharing memories and stories about loved ones, and encouraging others to do the same. There is a special camaraderie & fellowship in sharing losses.
• Create a special memory book; ask others who knew your loved ones to write something about your loved ones.
• Include special family-favorite recipes.
• Create holiday decors with photos of loved ones to hand on a tree or around your home.
• There are many opportunities to volunteer or make donations to a special cause in an individual or family name.
• Plant a tree or some other meaningful nurturing gesture in your loved one’s name.
• Special remembrance or religious services offers peace & hope to some.
• Come up with other meaningful ways to remember and honor individual loved ones.

In short, if the current way of doing things isn’t working well, you certainly don’t have to settle for that. Lost loved ones will always be a part of you and your story, and finding ways to include them can change the sad and difficult tone of holidays, and create some new traditions along the way.

Read more from John Pete at facebook.com/dailygriefquotes

Tags: anniversary grief, birthday grief, christmas grief, easter grief, grief and the holidays, grief milestones, holiday grief, thanksgiving grief