Holidays are a special time of the year and they might include celebrations for birthdays, the 4th of July, Christmas, and everything in between that you enjoy with your family. Once you have buried a loved one through the services offered at funeral homes in Tukwila, WA, the holidays you once enjoyed may not feel the same any longer. No matter how hard you try to get things to where they feel normal, the grief is present.

You may have heard the saying that grief is the price you pay for love. And, in a way, it can be true. When you lose someone you love, grief is the normal reaction. You aren’t ever going to feel the same again, though you can feel better, a bit healed, and like you have a new sense of normal in your life as time goes by.

Whether your grief is fresh when a holiday hits, or it has been nearly a year since you lost that loved one, you are likely going to feel a new wave of sadness when the holiday season comes around. You will notice that your loved one isn’t there, as they normally are, and that will sting. But there are things you can do to help yourself get through those times as best you can.

One of the best things you can do is simply take note of how you are feeling and ensure that you let that guide you throughout any celebrations. It’s okay that you might want to be alone sometimes, but you might also want to create some new traditions and see some of your family around the holiday as well to get the support you need. Give yourself permission to say no to some things, but try and say yes to others so you aren’t complete secluded.

Another thing you can do is create new traditions in honor of your loved one. You might plant something special in your garden around their birthday and watch it flourish. Around Christmas, gather family and volunteer at a charity they appreciated. Whatever you feel is warranted can be something new to do to remember them and honor them, even though they are no longer with you.

It can be hard to get through any holiday that you are used to celebrating with your loved one. Their birthday, your anniversary, Christmas, New Years, and lots of other holidays are going to hurt once they are gone and not there to enjoy things as they once did by your side. But you have others who are there to support you and the professionals at the funeral homes in Tukwila, WA are also here to help you in every way possible with suggestions, grief resources, compassion, and support. Contact Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory when you need final services for a loved one, when you want to plan ahead for yourself, or even when you are struggling with your grief around holidays and needs some advice on how to forge ahead.