Most of the time when you see a post like this on grieving during the holidays, it’s directed at getting through the season or year after the loss. But, it’s been 9 years today since I lost my dad to suicide, and the holidays are still an especially hard time of year for me.
My dad and I didn’t have the best relationship, but he always made an extra effort to make the holidays special and to plan activities we could enjoy together, like going ice skating at Rockefeller Center or getting me tickets to a New Jersey Devils game for Christmas. While I genuinely do love the holidays, they also magnify my grief and remind me that my dad isn’t around to celebrate with.
It sucks that every time I want to talk about him, I only have a handful of photos of us together to choose from. It’s hard that we’ll never get to make any more moments together and that I still have so much life left to live that won’t have him in it.
Every year, this day reminds me that the most wonderful and heartbreaking time of the year is about to arrive for me. I also know that the holidays are difficult for others and can bring up awkward levels of pain, loneliness, and joy… yet it’s something we never talk about. That’s why today’s video is meant to encourage you to be more aware of those around you who might need a little extra love and support this time of year. And, it’s also a reminder to stay strong if you’re navigating through these months with someone important missing from your life.
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