Holiday Wishes for Grievers

Of course I wish everyone reading this a wonderful, happy holiday season. And if my wishes could make that true, may people would be celebrating this year that may not be otherwise. But since I can't make happiness just happen for all of you, I will wish you all authenticity. I wish you holidays filled with connection, an honoring of your feelings, and all the support you need from the people, places and things that matter to you most.

Holidays can be a particularly difficult time for those of us grieving because there is a lot of expectations for fun family gatherings and joyful celebrations. There is an unspoken rule that only positivity is allowed. And that can be difficult for people who are not feeling the joy this season. It may even scare people away from attending events because they are not certain that they can keep up the facade of happiness for a whole party.

Now, some of us may decide that we want to put the grief "away" for a holiday party. We don't want to talk about it for a few hours and we can only hope that no one brings it up at the gathering. And that's fine too. The important thing to remember is that we are all different, and our needs change, sometimes several times during the day. Giving ourselves extra grace during the season to take the best care of ourselves possible is key. Download this Holiday Bill of Rights for Grievers and put it on your fridge to remind yourself some simple ways to take care of yourself this holiday season.