Coping with The Holidays: Suggested Resources, 2023

[Latest update: January 27, 2024]

People think it’s terribly sad to spend Christmas alone, but it’s no sadder, really, than spending any other day alone, is it?  ~ Paula Hawkins

Once again the holidays are looming, and grief triggers are everywhere, reminding us of all we have lost.  That is why many community agencies offer programs to assist the bereaved, especially at this time of year. Your local hospice, mortuary or healthcare organization will have information about whatever special offerings and services are available to you in your community. In addition, the Internet abounds with all sorts of articles, books and tips that offer creative and practical ways to cope with the holidays.

Understanding and Managing Grief, October 29 - November 4, 2023

Best selections from Grief Healing's X feed this week:

Death and grief are not easy to talk about. Talking to children about these can be harder still. Our instinct to protect children from harsh realities means we might avoid these topics altogether. But, as we discovered in our recently published research, bereaved children have lots of questions about death and grief. 'Why did he Leave Me?' 5 things grieving children want to know about the death of a loved one « The Conversation

Coping with The Holidays: Suggested Resources, 2022

[Updated December 31, 2022]

The holiest of holidays are those kept by ourselves in silence and apart; the secret anniversaries of the heart.  ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Once again the holiday season is upon us, and for those of us anticipating or coping with the loss of someone dearly loved, the days ahead can be extremely difficult. Triggers are everywhere, stoking memories and reminding us of all we have lost. That is why many community agencies offer programs to assist the bereaved, especially at this time of year. Your local hospice, mortuary or healthcare organization will have information about whatever special offerings and services are available to you in your community. In addition, the Internet abounds with all sorts of articles, books and tips that offer creative and practical ways to cope with the holidays. 

Coping with The Holidays: Suggested Resources, 2021

[Updated February 6, 2022]

The holidays can be difficult enough already, but for those impacted by significant loss, they can be a real challenge. Fortunately help is available, both online and in person, as individuals and communities rally to offer information, comfort and support to the bereaved and those who care for them. 

As I've done in years past, I will be searching throughout the season for helpful articles and reliable resources that I can recommend and share with my readers.

Below are links to those resources I’ve gathered so far this year, which I hope you will find informative and useful. Over the next several weeks I’ll be building upon this list each day, so I encourage you to check back often to see what’s been added.

Understanding and Managing Grief and Pet Loss, October 24 - October 30, 2021

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

When COVID-19 began to spread throughout the U.S., our team felt a strong call of action in response to the overwhelming mental health crisis we saw unfolding before us. We began to explore online resources that could help bereaved people address their grief, manage their painful emotions, build resilience, and improve their mental health and well-being. COVID-Internet Resource Guide « Stony Brook University (pdf) 

Coping with The Holidays ~ Suggested Resources 2020

[Updated December 31, 2020]

If you are anticipating or coping with the loss of someone dearly loved, you may find yourself dreading the onset of the holidays this year and wondering how you'll ever make it through the days and weeks ahead. 

Please know that support is available, and you need not travel this journey all alone! 

As I've done in years past, I will be searching throughout the season for helpful articles and current, reliable resources that I can recommend and share with my readers.

Below are links to those resources I’ve gathered so far this year, which I hope you will find informative and useful. Over the next several weeks I’ll be building upon this list each day, so I encourage you to check back often to see what’s been added.

Coping with The Holidays: Suggested Resources 2019

[Updated January 11, 2020]

A reader writes: I found your site while trying to get help dealing with the death of my sister, my best friend. I am 56, she would have been 54 next month. A monster called cancer killed her slowly and painfully. It will be 2 months next week and I miss her more every day. I don't have a memory of my childhood or adult life that does not include her. I cry more now than when she died.

Caregiving, Grief & Pet Loss, September 29 - October 5, 2019

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Drawing on her own experience, JaneRVN explores the issue of taking time off when grieving for a pet, and how knowing yourself can help. Grief is Grief, https://j.mp/2OoMMhk « Vet Times 

When graveyards are the place your kids visit their dad, how do you reconcile a season full of plastic headstones and scary places? When Halloween is Real: Plastic Skulls and Real Cemeteries, https://j.mp/2LIYnWG « Refuge In Grief

My husband died six months ago today and today I found comfort in some simple little rituals that brought me closer to him. Mourning Rituals for 6 Months, https://j.mp/30JDQFE « The Artful Caregiver

Coping with The Holidays: Suggested Resources 2018

[Updated February 15, 2019]

We enjoy warmth because we have been cold. We appreciate light because we have been in darkness. By the same token, we can experience joy because we have known sadness.  ~ David Weatherford

For those who are anticipating or coping with the loss of a loved one, the holidays can be a most challenging time. We may feel exhausted, drowning in sorrow, and  totally out of sync with the rest of the world, wishing that we could find a way to skip entirely these days, along with all those expectations of celebrating, giving thanks, shopping, preparing special meals, decorating, gifting, visiting, and entertaining guests.

Fortunately ~ and especially at this time of year ~ the Internet holds an abundance of information, comfort and support to help us get through these difficult days.

Coping with The Holidays: Suggested Resources 2017

[Most recent update: June 10, 2018]

Coping with loss is even harder during the holidays. What used to be a festive time of decorations and parties — laughter and togetherness — now seems meaningless. We’re paralyzed by the thought of shopping and socializing. How can we continue old traditions like nothing has changed? Because everything has changed . . .  ~ Lynn Sue Cooney

In my daily travels around the Internet, I am always on the lookout for helpful articles and reliable resources that I can recommend and share with my readers. This is especially important during the holiday season, which for many mourners and caregivers can be a difficult and challenging time.

Understanding and Managing Grief, October 29 - November 4, 2017

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Grief Woke Me Up and Now I Can't Go Back to Sleep, http://j.mp/2iueEyH « Second Firsts

Alison Miller: Ghost Dancing Into Our Forever, http://j.mp/2inqg6Q « Soaring Spirits International

Halloween Horror — Hurt or Help Your Grieving Friends, http://j.mp/2z1ZNUh « What to Say When Someone Dies

Your feedback is welcome! Please feel free to leave a comment or a question, or share a tip, a related article or a resource of your own in the Comments section below. If you’d like Grief Healing Blog updates delivered right to your inbox, you’re cordially invited to subscribe to our weekly Grief Healing Newsletter. Sign up here.

Understanding and Managing Grief, October 22 - October 28, 2017

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Loss of a Spouse: 5 Things Only a Widow/er Understands,  http://j.mp/2yZ6SXr « The Grief Toolbox

Trust Me As I Grieve, http://j.mp/2yYFZTM « What's Your Grief ?

Lin Sue Cooney: Coping with grief during holidays, http://j.mp/2yTFOqE « AZ Central

Understanding and Managing Grief, October 15 - October 21, 2017

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Why Do Friendships Change After a Significant Loss? http://j.mp/2guyTvQ «The 5 Facets

Finding the Safe, Helpful People We Need, http://j.mp/2gu03q8 « The Grief Toolbox

Coping With What You Can't Control, http://j.mp/2gvNVVv « Psych Central

Understanding and Managing Grief, October 23 - October 29, 2016

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Good Grief, Halloween! (It’s Not All Good), http://bit.ly/2frHh0D « What to Say When Someone Dies

Halloween and Holy Days, http://bit.ly/2eVGRgg « Widower's Grief

Grieving Inside the Waiting Room vs Outside, http://j.mp/2eY0GmC « Christina Rasmussen

Understanding and Managing Grief, October 26 - November 1, 2014

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Lovely: On the Ways Life Changes For A Surviving Spouse: La Belle Indifference, http://j.mp/1G3dq3m « Washingtonian

Scrabble, the body, and grief: a long story [but a good one!], http://j.mp/1tpVrgU « Refuge in Grief

Halloween and Grief – When The Nightmare Is Too Real, http://j.mp/1zkQt9V « Refuge in Grief

Caregiving and Hospice, October 20 - October 26, 2013

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

What's the Difference Between Alzheimer's and Dementia? http://j.mp/1hiyo1C « Alzheimer's Reading Room

21 Days of Gratitude: A free meditation program beginning November 4, 2013 « http://j.mp/18okAea « Pinterest

The Fifth Season: A Daughter-in-Law's Memoir of Caregiving, book review by Paula Span,  http://j.mp/1anizla « New York Times

Understanding and Managing Grief, October 28 - November 3, 2012

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

• Free for bereaved families, 8-9 pm EST Wednesday, November 7, 2012 on Handling the Holidays. Register here: http://tinyurl.com/TCFWebinars, from @AliceaMom via @tcfofusa
  
  
• For anyone grieving or helping their kids through grief, http://wp.me/p1Eh1s-RX
  
  
• Updated: Tips for Coping with Sleeplessness in Grief, http://j.mp/hkoXnZ « Grief Healing Blog
  
  
• Helpful! Daily Requirements for Coping With the Death of a Loved One, http://j.mp/SfAAIK
  
  
• Light Up A Life will be on Sunday, November 18 at Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix AZ, http://j.mp/SskTPi