Pre Christmas Check-In
I can’t believe that Christmas Day is only 4 days away! Join us for this little check in party and let us know how you are doing:
1. Have you finished all of your Christmas Shopping?
2. How are you coping with your grief during this holiday season?
3. Have you finished wrapping all of your gifts?
4. What is one way you are going to honor the memory of your loved one that is no longer with you this holiday season?
5. What are you having for Christmas dinner and have you already purchased your groceries?
6. What is one way you can practice self care if this holiday season is difficult for you because of grief?
@Kristynsmama
1. Have you finished all of your Christmas Shopping? Yes!!! I finished in early November. I hate shopping after what the USA calls Black Friday- the day after Thanksgiving. I avoid the crowds. This is because I worked Black Friday in retail for 15 years!
2. How are you coping with your grief during this holiday season? I am actually coping with my grief by being available on 7 cups. It’s a great distraction for me to be available for all of the wonderful members!
3. Have you finished wrapping all of your gifts?
Yes. Just like I hate shopping until the last minute, I hate wrapping at the last minute. I like to get it done so I can put the paper away and enjoy my decorations!
4. What is one way you are going to honor the memory of your loved one that is no longer with you this holiday season? I hung my daughters stocking. We wrote her letters and fill her stocking with them. Ok Christmas morning my family goes to visit her grave.
5. What are you having for Christmas dinner and have you already purchased your groceries? Ham, twice baked potatoes, corn, asparagus, rice, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, chess pie, and s’mores. Notice how there are almost as many items for dessert as there are for the meal. 🍪🧁🥮
6. What is one way you can practice self care if this holiday season is difficult for you because of grief? I be am practicing self care by doing something that I really enjoy with my best friend. We are doing our annual girls night going to a favorite restaurant and looking at Christmas lights tonight.
@Kristynsmama annual girls night. That sounds like good fun ❤ it's important to keep your daughters memory alive. Stirring letters is a great idea. Sometimes I write poems for my son. I bought him a rugby shirt and rugby ball, he's 12 years old now, his name is Joshua. My carers put a cross for him under the willow tree in the garden. I keep all his poems, gifts, in a treasure chest under the tree. I bet our children are happy up there in heaven, playing together ❤ with all the candy they can eat. One day we will see them again ❤❤ merry Christmas sweetie ❤
Thank you for this @Kristynsmama.
1. I have not finished shopping but close. I keep thinking of things to buy for my mom who passed and getting angry at myself for forgetting she's no longer here.
2. Not coping well, this is my first holiday without her and I feel so lost.
3. My wife is handling the gift wrapping for our family (nephew and siblings, we have no kids), and we agreed we're not going to wrap gifts for each other this year. We actually did that last year too, just feels bad wasting wrapping paper on the two of us. 😕
4. I haven't even thought about honoring her memory in any significant way. It may sound awful, but it's so painful to even think about her right now that I just try my hardest not to.
5. We are getting a spiral ham from a local market, and having my wife's cheesy potatoes, roasted carrots, and some charcuterie.
6. I'm having a difficult time believing I'm a good person. I feel like I was not a good son to my mom and regret that every day. I would love some pointers on good self care during this season.
@VintageDougers
im so sorry about your mom. The first holiday without a loved one is always the hardest. I am going to be posting some self care topics a little later today. Hopefully you can find some good tips in what I post later.
@VintageDougers aww honey the first Xmas with our her😞 I think your already doing something to celebrate her memory. By thinking of gifts she would like, so don't be angry I bet she'd love the fact you think of her so much ❤ a mother knows her children better than anyone else in the world. It's hard but I'm sure she knows how much you love her. And she's a angel in heaven, watching over you, so she definitely knows you love her very much ❤ self care tips, just be kind to yourself, and let yourself feel and go through the emotions. Your Xmas dinner sounds really nice😋 although I don't know what the last good you said is🤔🤔 have a lovely xmas, and remember we are all here for you ❤ gives you a giant festive tiny hug ❤