Bereavement Support Group
Are you grieving the loss of a loved one? Whether you lost someone recently or it's been years, grief and its accompanying emotions can be complicated to cope with. Join our online support group to connect with a supportive group of people who really know how you feel. Help is right here.
I lost my sister last fall September 16th, 2014. I found that the first year holidays were a blur, now that it is the second year without her it is hard for me to celebrate holidays without feeling sad. How do I survive holidays? I tend to put myself into my job and just ignore holidays. I don't try to but I tend to isolate myself because it is hard for me to be near friends or family.
I lost my mother 1 1/2 year ago, my dad 1/2 year ago. So I am in the 2nd year cycle with respect to mom, and the first year cycle for dad.
I think that the key, at least for me, is to allow myself to settle into a new normal. True, it does not involve my parents, but it does involve new family members who are growing into the people they will be.
I get to be a part of that, and that is how I get through the holidays.
I, too, thought the same way as you did in regards to the holidays. While at the time, I was grieving for a very different reason (a divorce), I threw myself into my job and pretty much kept to myself outside of the office. Adjusting to life as a single person is very different from adjusting to life after the loss of loved one, but it's a life altering adjustment nonetheless, which requires time.
Just before Christmas, I found out my mother had passed away. I had no idea she was even sick or even hospitalized, much less that she had passed away. I stumbled onto the information by chance. I again thought that if I distanced myself from everything, I could begin to heal.
That result was actually quite the opposite. By doing that, I made it that much harder to accept that she was gone, and that I would never have the chance to tell her about her grandchildren. I was in the first half of Catholic conversion classes at the time (and still am), which I had considered quitting or putting on hold until a later time. Some very wise members on DS encouraged me to continue on. And I have say, that was the best thing I could've done.
The holidays can be tough to get through, but it can also be even tougher to take them on alone. Sure, you may not feel like celebrating, but trust me, being around loved ones and family--just knowing that they're there--during the holidays will help.