How to Get Through the Holidays After a Loss
Everyone else seems to be decorating, planning menus and posting family photos. And youโre just trying to breathe. If this is your first holiday season (or your tenth) without someone you love, youโre not ungrateful. Youโre grieving. And God is close.
Before the day: make a plan
- Decide which traditions to keep, change or skip. Youโre allowed to do things differently this year.
- Plan an exit. Know how long youโll stay, and have a friend you can text if it gets heavy.
- Tell people what you need. โIโd love it if we shared memories of Mom at dinner,โ or โPlease donโt bring it up today.โ Both are okay.
On the day: make room for grief
- Honor them. Light a candle, set out their favorite dish, hang an ornament with their name, or say a short prayer of thanks for their life.
- Take breaks. A walk outside or ten quiet minutes in the car is not rude. Itโs wise.
- Let both feelings come. You can laugh at the table and cry in the kitchen in the same hour. Grief and gratitude can sit side by side.
After: be gentle with yourself
The days after a holiday can hit hard too. Rest. Eat real food. Tell one safe person how it really went.
God came into a hard season too
The first Christmas wasnโt picture-perfect. Jesus was born into a poor family, in a borrowed space, under a cruel king. His name is a promise: Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). He is with you at the table with the empty chair.
๐ A gentle plan for every hard day
The Hard Days gives you a plan, a prayer and a text you can send a friend for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Motherโs Day, anniversaries and more, plus a private place to save your own hard dates with a reminder.
If the holidays feel unbearable or youโre thinking about ending your life, call or text 988 any time, including Christmas Day.
๐ Wear the reminder: The Never Failed Me Yet Collection โ
