Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.comThese confusing feelings of wonderland joy and real-time grief demand our attention, and we’re not always sure which emotion we should be feeling at any given moment.
Is there a set formula for how or how long we are supposed to grieve the loss of those dear to us? Or, is it completely individually-based?
The truth is we miss our loved ones.
While we try to place the majority of our focus on celebrating the great lives of these individuals, the voids created when they passed on are real and true. It’s healthy for us to acknowledge this.
And, it’s also healthy for us to actively avoid increased stress by working toward overcoming our grief so that we can savor and celebrate the lives of loved ones who are still alive; as well as savor and celebrate our own lives.
We may or may not enjoy the holiday season if the loss of loved ones is on our minds. That’s okay.
It’s also fine to have a good time during yuletide festivities as often as we feel up to it. Those who fully understand and support our grief will not see this as a sign of disrespect of the deceased.
It will simply be viewed as our attempt to move forward into a healthy future, which is certainly what our lost loved ones would want us to do.
Nurse Angela Morrow shared the following “Strategies for Survival” during the holiday season:
Offer Yourself Some Grace by allowing yourself to feel whatever emotion you are feeling at each moment. Laugh when you can and cry when you need to.
Be Kind to Yourself by getting the nourishment, recreation, alone time, rest, and exercise you need.
Ask For and Accept Help by honestly letting people know when you’ve reached a limit and need support.
Find Support by reaching out to relatives, friends, and organizations you can openly talk to about what you’re feeling.
Make a Difference by focusing on helping others, donating goods and services, and volunteering your time and talents to help a charitable cause.
Stop the Comparisons by acknowledging and accepting your own situations and experiences and not comparing them with what you observe in other families.
Remember That You Will Survive by acknowledging that the holiday season will soon be part of the past, and you will survive it. Be true to yourself and to your feelings.
Best Wishes,
Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc. This 23-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog. View Sharon's other published works at http://www.examiner.com/.
Contact Sharon directly for more information: sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org
"Children are the globe's most precious commodity."
(Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)
2 comments:
I really like the article. You are addressing a topic most don't realize is happening sometimes when the holidays approach. Thanks for shining the light on the subject so we all can be mindful to others going through these situations.
We appreciate you for pausing for a moment during this busy season to give us this article feedback. And, thanks for the excellent photos your site makes available for our use throughout the year. Happy Holidays.
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