Grieving during the Holidays
This holiday season is different for some of us. There’s an empty chair at the end of the table this year. Our hearts are hemorrhaging. We can’t stop crying.
How do we grieve during the holidays? How do we find joy when all we can think of is how much we miss our dad, brother, husband, wife, or friend?
It’s such a mix of emotions. Anger, fear, sadness, and anxiety all at once are just too much to handle.
There are a lot of resources on the Internet suggesting ways to survive the holidays after loss of a loved one. Today’s Tips from the Trail offers up a couple of those ideas.
1. Give yourself and others permission to grieve. Trying to hold it together only makes things worse. Open up the dialog instead of dancing around the Elephant in the room. Talk about the “Empty chair” at the dinner table.
2. Create a new tradition to honor your loved one. Plant a tree, hang a stocking, or donate time to his/her favorite charity.
3. Seek counsel, find a support group. Grieving is a process. It’s different for everyone. There’s no time-table.
4. Self care is most important right now. Sleep, eat good food, get outside every day, and allow yourself plenty of down time.
Words can’t take away your pain. Grief has to happen. Allow it to pass through you.
Peace, love, health, and hope to you and yours, Allison.
