Grieving and the Holidays

The Holidays can stir up a mix of memories and emotions.

That is especially true if you have had a family member or friend pass away during this or a previous Holiday Season.

If you've found yourself struggling to feel joy, you're not alone.

For me, my sister died of cancer at age 36, just a few days before Thanksgiving. She was a single mom, raising two young teenage sons.

My dad passed away, after a long struggle with cancer, one week before Christmas.

So, though they are always in my thoughts, during the Holidays they enter my thoughts even more.

I love them, and miss them.

"In every heart there is a room, where we can hold our greatest treasures and our deepest pain." (Marianne Williamson)

Everyone either has or will experience that deepest pain.

Jack Lemmon said, "Death ends a life, not a relationship." I have found that to be true.

We've probably all heard the saying, "Time heals all wounds." But grief is not on a time schedule. We are all individuals with our own personalities and life experiences, and we each grieve in our own way. Grieving is a journey that does not follow a 12-month calendar.

Several years ago when I facilitated a grief support group, I found this beautiful saying.

"Those who think

there is a

TIME LIMIT...

when

GRIEVING...

Have never lost a

piece of their

HEART."

Author Unknown

But it's good to remember there is not just the one emotion of sadness that is grieving. There can also be relief, anger, guilt, regret, and even joy. And they can exist together, all mixed up.

That is the journey of grieving. To honestly express your feelings, and to talk about the loss with caring individuals, are part of the healing process. Find someone who will and can listen without judging.

I will close with this quote: "The grief within me has its own heartbeat. It has its own life, its own song. Part of me wants to resist the rhythms of my grief. Yet, as I surrender to the song, I learn to listen deep within myself." (Alan D Wolfelt, PhD)

Holding you in love this Holiday Season.

To Your Courageous Self!

Edie Savage-Weeks

Transformational Life Coach

ediesavageweeks.com