“The Holidays” are supposed to be all “sparkly and glittery” making us think of words like merry, happy… “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”…but often this is not the case when living with grief.
When grief and the holidays meet, the results are often not pretty. It’s more like they collide.
A holiday collision IS coming. The calendar is filled with immovable objects – dates that get our attention, such as anniversaries, birthdays, and graduations. And of course, there’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s sitting there in big, bold letters.
Everywhere we turn now, there they are. The holiday season looms before us and there’s going to be a collision of highs and lows; joys and sorrows; laughter and tears.
We’ve had loved ones die. Our hearts have been hit. Our worlds have cracked. We feel broken. Our futures have been altered. How do we heal in “the holidays”??
- WE LOVE, that’s what we do!
- We loved, therefore we grieve. We love, therefore we continue to grieve. As we mourn, we remember.
- We speak their names, as often as possible.
- We tell their stories to anyone who will listen.
- We live their legacies.
- We seek to honor their memory in our thoughts, words and actions.
- We love them, and so we remember.
- As we remember, we give thanks for them.
- We love them, so we celebrate – maybe not so much with “hoopla” but with wounded, appreciative hearts.
Have you heard that what you resist persists? I invite you to embrace your grief; allow your pain to surface, let the tears come, and honor your struggle. This is the process of healing.
It’s ok to change everything. It’s ok to change nothing. BREATHE!!
Tanya Lord
It’s ok to say no. It’s ok to say yes. BREATHE!!
It’s ok to shop. It’s ok to not. BREATHE!!
It’s ok to celebrate. It’s ok to hide. BREATHE!!
It’s ok to remember. It’s ok to honor. BREATHE!!
It’s ok to hurt. It’s ok to laugh. BREATHE!!
It’s ok…JUST BREATHE!!
Again, we speak their names. We tell their stories. We live their legacies. We remember and honor them. We are healing.
Sending you all extra love and hugs!
– Susan
