Making It Through Holidays with Grief and Loss in Our Hearts
Dear Carol: I’m a new widow dreading all the Christmas hoopla and yearly optimism of a New Year. Planning Christmas presents for my grandkids is a nice distraction for me, but other than that, everything holiday-related is a chore, and optimism is hard to come by. I’m even having trouble planning Christmas dinner. The family has discussed including an empty chair at the holiday table signifying our loss, but we decided against that as being too focused on death for their young children. Still, we don’t want to ignore the fact that my husband – their father and grandfather – is now gone. Any thoughts? Thank you for being here for us. – MH
Dear MH: Holidays are a tough time for families affected by physical illness, various types of dementia, and the ultimate loss of death. I’m so sorry your family must go through this painful experience. The truth is that nothing will make this a normal holiday season. Allow yourself to feel the pain and loss. Don’t duck it or deny it. Accept that it cuts to the core. This…
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