A Tragedy During the Holidays

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This is it, folks; the most wonderful time of the year! Everyone is cheerful, people become most generous this time of year, and nothing can cloud such a happy time! Except the one thing we don’t expect… the death of a loved one.????

Thanksgiving this year came and went without a hitch and the feelings of happiness washed over us as we eagerly prepared for the next part of the year; Christmas time! The days to December grew closer and so our anticipation heightened. We all began making plans for the holidays and fantasized about what we hoped for in the New Year. Then, Friday, November 30, 2018 came and just as the evening approached, we received a call that my grandmother had passed away.

Suddenly, our world became clouded and the happiness dulled. So many questions filled our minds, yet no one asked them. We were speechless. The next couple of days were a blur and we kept on with our schedules and routines to help keep our minds busy and not completely register that a piece of our heart was now missing. How could we think about a funeral?

I wanted to take the time to write this to let others know that although the holiday season is saturated with joy, cheer, and happiness, it’s okay to be sad too. It’s okay to admit that you don’t feel Christmas-y this year and it’s okay if think you don’t want to feel Christmas-y again. It’s okay to grieve during the “most wonderful time of the year.” It’s okay to feel the way you feel.

At this point in my grieving process, I don’t know if I’ve truly come to acceptance yet. I still want to know why even though that’s not something that I’ll ever get an answer to. I feel guilt for living so far away that it took time away from seeing her. I feel sad that my son won’t get to grow up knowing her. I feel incomplete.

This has been weighing heavy on my heart these last few days and I know I’m not the only one feeling less cheerful this year. I want others to know that they are also not alone and I sympathize for what they are feeling. A friend told me that the hole that I feel in my heart won’t go away, but I’ll learn how to live without that piece even though it still hurts… Stay strong.

Always,

Samantha❤

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About The Author

First time parent to an incredible little boy residing in Northern California. I hold my M.A. in Education with a Specialization in Culturally Responsive Education. My mission is to consistently provide helpful content for other parents to draw from. Parenthood is ever-changing! I look forward to sharing my experiences with you and hope that my posts are insightful.

5 Comments

  1. avatar
    Anonymous says:

    ❤️ sending warm hugs and thoughts your way! I’m so sorry for your loss, you are correct that it is ok to be sad during this time and there is not time limit on grieving; we all handle on our own time! The thing that we always do is share stories of our loved ones that have passed and the boys see their picture and talk about it. Still hurts knowing they didn’t get to know them in person but there is comfort in knowing that they share a piece of them xoxox

    5 Comments
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    1. avatar
      Samantha Flores says:

      Thank you for your warm thoughts! I’ll be sure to keep her memory alive with my little guy.????

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