COPING DURING THE HOLIDAYS

Recently a woman visited the Good Grief Center - devastated over the loss of her husband, concerned for her children and overwhelmed with the holidays so close at hand. Everyone experiences the loss of a loved one at one time or another and the holidays can be a painful time. We would like to share some tips we shared with her that you may find useful to make the holidays a little easier if you have lost a loved one or loved ones.

• Recognize that the holidays will not be the same no matter how hard you want them to be.
• It is okay to cry and feel sad and it is okay to laugh and feel good.
• Don't overdo by trying to make the holidays perfect for everyone. You will only become more stressed.
• Lower your expectations; go easy on yourself. Eliminate the cards or cookies and do only what you feel like doing.
• Find time for yourself, even if it is just watching the snow fall or looking at the holiday lights. Take time for rest, healthy food, and a deep breath.
• Try to focus on the life of your loved one, not on the death, and ask people to share a special memory of your loved one with a picture, a story, or something else special.
• Memorialize your loved one in a special way by putting up a favorite ornament or making a donation to a special organization.

The Good Grief Center offers grief support for individual adults, children and their families. All services are free. Do call us if you need our help to get through this time of the year.

Our goal is to continue to offer grief services to our community. We are funded by United Way, donations and our fundraisers, but costs for keeping the agency open keep growing. Some of us honor our deceased loved ones by donating money to the Good Grief Center as our "present" to our loved one, since we cannot buy that toy or sweater for them. We also have a Wall of Remembrance where you can place your loved one's picture. Please consider a memorial to the Good Grief Center in honor of your loved one, knowing you are helping another grieving person and yourself as well.

May you have peaceful holidays full of hope and a Happy New Year.