(KWNO)-Hanukkah is in full swing and Christmas is two weeks away. During the holiday season a lot of us get excited for gifts and family gatherings and celebrating traditions with our loved ones. But for people grieving over the loss of a loved one this can be an especially difficult time of year. Catherine Pelletier is the Bereavement Coordinator at Gunderson-Lutheran and says it’s important to try to create memories and traditions that include the people we’ve lost.
“When I talk to my families about grief and the holidays the thing I hear the most is we used to do this with this person or if it’s the loss of a child, I really wanted to do this with my child so it’s a loss of tradition during the holidays and I think when most people think of the holidays they think of tradition. So something we talk a lot about is how to include our grief in traditions so a lot of families will have ornaments they put on the tree or they’ll put a picture of the person they lost on the holiday table and kind of include them however possible in the memories they’re creating now,” says Pelletier, who’s also a Child Life Specialist at Gunderson.
Pelletier also encourages family and friends to engage with people who are grieving. It’s not always easy to talk about a person who’s died but just saying the person’s name and sharing memories can help with the grieving process. She also says the National Alliance for Children’s Grief is a good resource for kids who are working through the loss of a loved one or close friend.
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