“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NKJV

The holiday season can be a very difficult and painful time of year for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For almost two years, the daily news has been a constant reminder of how COVID-19 has been the culprit of many untimely deaths in this country and around the globe. Many natural disasters have occurred such as the recent tornado that touched down in Kentucky and surrounding states which resulted in several fatalities and insurmountable destruction. There are others who are grieving the loss of loved ones for other various reasons. For many, the holidays are very different—there are many chairs left empty at the dining room table and there are voids that can never be replaced. Although, there is much heartbreak during this season, there are still many signs of joy and God’s love that can be seen in small things.

I can see the signs of Christmas joy everywhere I go: through my postal worker’s bright smile as she delivers the mail and Christmas packages in my neighborhood; through the friendly elderly man in Costco who patiently stood in line with one rotisserie chicken and shared with me how his car had broken down and how he had to walk three miles home to get his wife’s car before standing in that line; through the friendly associate at the local department store who clearly aced his class in customer service; through gathering with my coworkers to contribute gifts to our angel selected from the Angel Tree Program; through the conversation and the laughs of wonderful ladies from my church family; through the bonding of my fellow Focused Writers at our annual gathering; through the wisdom and hearty discussions of my Pearls of Wisdom Women’s Ministry; and through the smiles and giggles of my grandbabies dressed in their Christmas pajamas and reindeer antlers as they uniquely decorated my tree and as we baked cookies, drank hot cocoa, and watched Christmas movies. These are just a few simple things that I have found joy in during this holiday season.

For those who are grieving, Judy Tatelbaum of Cornerstone of Hope Bereavement Center offers the following survival strategies for the holidays:

1. Be kind to yourself. This is a time when it is important to take care of yourself.
2. Express your feelings. The surest road through grief is to feel it, not deny it. If you don’t feel comfortable expressing your feelings to family or friends, journaling is also very helpful and healing.
3. Ask for what you need. Other people do not know how you feel unless you tell them.
4. Create support for yourself. Sharing your pain eases it.
5. Help another person in need. Contributing to someone else gets your attention off yourself. Some suggestions would be to serve a holiday meal at a shelter, visit a nursing home or hospital, bake and deliver baked goods to the sick, or make encouraging phone calls.

Let’s remember to be kind to one another—you never know what the next person may be going through. Wishing you all a happy and safe holiday season as you fine-tune your Christmas lists and plan your menus in preparation for your traditional or not so traditional holiday meal. Peace and blessings! 

If you are interested in a free 30-min coaching session, book an appointment at calendly.com/new-wine-consulting.