Happy and celebratory times for many may be counter balanced with less than happy and perhaps mournful times for others.

Dying and death doesn’t pay much attention to human invented events such as Christmas so it’s little wonder that there will be people coming to the end of their lives, which means family and friends will by association, be having to face the realities of the ending of days.

Managing Grief at Christmas is the title of story from Dying Matters in the UK who note that:

Christmas can be a stressful period even at the best of times but coping with a loss at this time of year can really test the strongest of people. The festive season can be one of the most difficult times of the year for those grieving.

The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is a charitable organisation of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents dedicated to the support and care of other similarly bereaved family members who have suffered the death of a child or children of any age and from any cause.

TCF suggests that Christmas cannot be the same as it was because our family is not the same – not complete – and offer advice on their website about grief and bereavement of a child. They also have more information specifically on coping at Christmas and a leaflet available to download.

An excerpt from Getting Grief Right: Finding Your Story of Love in the Sorrow of Loss, by Patrick O’Malley, PhD with Tim Madigan, features eight ideas to help you enjoy the holidays while also honouring your loss.

The full story is at this link: Managing Grief at Christmas.