Handling Grief During the Holiday Season

One thing that we cannot get around during the holidays is the grief we hold for those no longer here. 

We won’t hear their voice come through the door.

We won’t hear their jokes at the table. 

We won’t hear their prayer before dinner. 

As the holidays approach, it can be hard to feel the usual warmth and joy when a piece of us is missing. If you are grieving this season, here are a few reminders to help soothe and comfort your soul in the process:

• Give yourself space to feel: 

• Let yourself cry, be angry, or sit in the stillness. Every emotion deserves room to exist.

• Find healthy outlets to process:

• Write about what you miss in a journal, spend time with loved ones, or revisit a movie or tradition you shared. Let memories comfort you, not confine you.

• Acknowledge that it’s different:

• You might be tempted to say the holidays are the worst or that they’ll never be the same, and in some ways, they won’t. The truth is, life is always changing, and this is one of those things. So instead of thinking of it as something you want no part of, acknowledge that it’s different and give yourself the capacity to accept the difference.  

Instead of resisting all that the season represents, let’s make peace with it. 

Let the memories remind you of the love that still lingers, even in their absence.

Grief may change the way you experience the holidays, but it doesn’t erase the beauty that remains. You don’t have to force joy, but you can make space for it to quietly return… one moment at a time.

And through it all, God is near, holding your heart, comforting your spirit, and reminding you that love never truly leaves.

Heartwork

What are healthy ways you can process your grief as you go into the holiday season?

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