If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout my journey through grief, it’s the way that it comes in waves. No matter how good things have been going for how long, all it takes is one little trigger, one special moment or one thing that leaves you wishing that person was there for.
This is what makes the holidays feel so incredibly difficult for those of us who have lost a loved one.
It is a time that is centered around spending time with the people that we love. That’s what makes it so clear and so obvious who is missing. Their void is felt so much greater than on just any regular day
Regardless of how many years or how many holiday seasons have gone by, this is just one of those things that never seem to get easier.
It’s the empty chair.
It’s the recipe other family members have tried to replicate but has never come out the same.
It’s the card aisle you walk through with tears in your eyes.
It’s the gift you find that would have been perfect for that person.
It’s the people around you who still get to share these days with the person you’d do anything to have back.
It’s being unable to find joy in these moments without this person.
It’s feeling like nothing is and never will be the same.
It’s all of these things and so much more that make the holiday season so incredibly difficult for those who are grieving.
These days that used to be filled with so much love and joy have become much darker and much lonelier for those who have to spend the holidays with a loved one in heaven.
Be kind to those who are missing someone they’ve lost this holiday season.
These days may look much different for them than they do for you.