|
 Fall
is my favorite time of the year. I enjoy the
cooler weather and the beautiful colors of
Mother Nature. Crunching leaves underfoot,
awesome sunsets, and bright full moons. Soon
it will be time for us to put on warm
clothes and snuggle in for the cold, snow,
and icy days of Old Man Winter.
Before we know it, the
holiday season will be here with many plans
to make. Family and friends will be
traveling from near and far to gather around
a holiday table a king would surely envy.
Extra hours of cleaning house, hunting up
traditional recipes, and cooking delicious,
once-a-year meals will be incorporated into
our already busy schedules. We will be
caught up in the hustle and bustle of buying
gifts to exchange at Christmas and Hanukah.
The ringing in of yet another New Year will
complete the festivities. So much excitement
and fun!
If you are newly
bereaved you may ask yourself what there is
to celebrate when someone you love has died.
How can anyone be happy when they are
feeling sad and lonely? Why should you give
thanks when your heart is empty and you do
not seem to have a reason for living?
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukah. Maybe
this year they should be canceled.
During the past year
perhaps your child died. Maybe it was a
spouse, parent, friend, or cherished
relative. What do you have to be thankful
for this holiday season? Give thanks for the
life this special person lived. Give thanks
for the love that was given and received.
Give thanks for memories of your days
together. Laughing times and crying times.
Good days and not so good days. Celebrations
and memorable holidays of days gone by.
This year when we
gather on Thanksgiving Day let us remember
those who have died. Celebrate their life by
sharing memories. Mention them by name. Tell
stories of special times together. Yes,
there is sadness in remembering but joy in
knowing they will always live in our hearts.
Memories are forever! They can never be
taken away.
I for one would hate
to have these important family days of
Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukah erased
from the calendar. I believe that every day
should be a day of thanksgiving. Let us
begin this season by focusing on the true
meaning of the holidays. Somewhere along the
way our society has chosen a path that puts
too much emphasis on the material things in
life rather than the richness of the gifts
and talents we possess as well as those of
our friends and loved ones.
Even though we are
grieving, we have much to be thankful for.
Let us give thanks for our loving friends
who unselfishly walk our grief journey with
us. They share many warm hugs to lift our
spirits. We should be grateful for our tears
and sobs that help to remove the pain from
within. For pictures and mementos of our
loved one that give us something tangible to
hold. We should give thanks for the lessons
we can learn on our journey through grief.
On a personal note, I
have many blessings to be thankful for this
year. I give thanks for my family and
friends. I’m thankful for warm, sunny days
and quiet hours. For all the families and
professionals who have placed their trust in
me to help them understand and cope with
their many losses. I am especially grateful
for the men and women in the emergency
response professions; particularly my
brothers and sisters in EMS and the fire
service. I thank God for the special people
in my life who have given me love and hugs
during my personal grief journeys.
Although this year may
be filled with sadness and grief for some of
you, I wish everyone a loving day of
thanksgiving. It is my prayer that you will
find comfort and celebrate the many
blessings you have received over the years.
Copyright Peggy
Sweeney. All rights reserved.
About the
Author: Peggy is a funeral
director and bereavement educator with
Grimes Funeral Chapels in Kerrville and
formerly a firefighter and EMT-B. Since
1990, Peggy has developed and conducted
numerous workshops that offer help to
families and professionals coping with
life-altering events. Her seminars address
difficult topics such as grief, divorce,
abuse, addiction, long-term illness, and the
quality of life. A special program, Grieving
Behind the Badge, deals
with the emotional wellness of emergency
response and public safety professionals.
Peggy hosts monthly support groups for
bereaved spouses as well as parents who have
had a child or children die. If you would
like additional information about these
support groups, please contact Peggy at
830-257-4544 or through e-mail at peggy@grimesfuneralchapels.com.
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