Regaining Comfort & Joy in the Holidays

There are many reasons people lose hope. There are times when although not in total despair, we just do not feel like celebrating. Life is complicated and messy and there are holiday seasons that for one reason or another, one might be just as happy to sail away for a quiet vacation and skip the frivolity. When your heart is heavy with grief may be one of these times. In fact, when we have experienced the death-loss of someone significant in our life, the holidays can become overwhelming. From the empty chair at the holiday meal to the merriment of neighborhood and office parties, the challenge to honor our pain and still allow ourself some happiness is challenging. Preparing your heart and calendar to include both comfort and joy can help.

Augustine “Og” Mandino II, born in Natick, Massachusetts, was an author and salesperson. He wrote he bestselling book The Greatest Salesman in the World. His books have sold over 50 million copies and have been translated into over 25 languages, but of his words that I most value these:

I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart; Yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; Yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.” – Og Mandino

Mandino understood that while we pursue happiness, sadness too has its own reward in soul growth. In the world of grief we recognize the work of integrating a death loss into our life as a journey with opportunity for personal growth. Still, holidays can be challenging when grieving a loss because as we mourn, it seems the whole world is celebrating. Which of course is not true, but the constant barrage of ads, Christmas songs, lights and merriment often feels like an assault on the grieving heart.

If you are grieving a loss or dreading the holidays for any reason, I invite you to join us for a seminar this Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 1-3:00 p.m. at the Holden Senior Center. Our seminars include a formal presentation with insights on how to maintain hope while mourning a loss during the holidays, creating a balance of comfort and joy in your life. Following the presentation is a light lunch where you can meet other people experiencing a loss who are looking for light during the holidays. Each participant will receive a free book: Hope and Healing During the Holidays After the Loss of a Loved One, written by Jayne Flaagan.

It is our deepest hope that you find peace during these winter days. To attend the seminar register here.