Surviving The Holidays Survival Guide – Griefshare

The holiday season has begun. this might be the first holiday after your loved one’s death, or maybe it’s the second, third, or beyond.

In the coming days, you are going to be facing some tough emotions. And due to the nature of Thanksgiving and Christmas – with its focus on family, yearly traditions, expectations, social events, and “cheer” – the emotions can blindside you.

You can lessen the emotional impact by knowing what to expect and being prepared.

Surviving the Holidays is here to help.
Steve Grissom is GriefShare Founder and President

I was introduced to Griefshare after my son Joseph was murdered in Seattle. Griefshare is a great resource for coping with loss.

The holidays are extremely hard for those who grew up participating in them or like me did not.

The workbook focuses on:

What to do with hyour holiday emotions
Survivor stories
The strength to survive
Survivor tips
- Help keep yourself from being blindsided
- Write a grief letter
- Keeping a holiday journal
Having a plan
Practical ideas to help you plan
You can’t duplicate past holidays
Survivor Wisdom: What NEW Taditions could you try in honor of your loved one?
Laying the foundation for your plan

It seems like a lot of work doesn’t it? Even thinking about it is over whelming to me, but it’s what you have to do. It’s like we have a main app running handling our day to day life meanwhile there are apps running in the background virtually ignorred. You know what happens next? You get overloaded. You run out of ram and you begin to crash. Sometimes it begins with malfunctioning with brain fog, crying jags, illogical arguments, aches and pains with no explanation, insomnia, even accidents like falls.

It’s because you really aren’t “present”. You ignore so many things because it’s just too much. In my case, it was all about insurance money. Even now I have relatives who never talk to me, who really don’t care anything about me but they have my name and birthday. They are hoping I die so they can cash in the life insurance policy they have on me.

I am supposed to drop dead out of sheer depression and neglect. They don’t want me to heal and go on with my life. They want me to die from grief so they can get money for purses, trucks, and jewelry. That’s what my life means to them.

If you are in the same boat, it’s okay. They are what they are and you are who they are. I declare and decree that grief will never win over me. You should do the same. Protect yourself by getting yourself some support. I like Griefshare but there are many other support groups out there. Saw your prayers, cry your tears if you got them, and get on with your life.

I remember talking to my Mom years ago and her saying that one day it won’t hurt anymore. She said that because she was trying to comfort me, bless her heart. SMH. I am not going to say more other than it’s like someone who stood by why you and your family were drowning and they looked and laughed on the shore. You make it out without your child and they tell you soon you won’t feel anything about that loss.

Monstrous. What do monsters teach us? They teach us what a monster looks like, sounds like and does.

What if you feel suicidal? What to do?

Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Wear your face mask when you go.

Call a friend, family member, doctor, pastor, or counselor immediately, and tell that person your are feeling suicidal. You should not be alone.

Call a suicide help line, such as 1-800-273-TALK (8255). KEEP THESE PHONE NUMBERS BY YOUR TELEPHONE OR SAVED IN YOUR CELL PHONE.

Check out:

griefshare.org/hope

griefshare.org/holidays

griefshare.org/dailyemails

griefshare.org/devotional