By Dr. Ginger Gabriel
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
When you are grieving a loved one’s death, the holiday season can be especially painful. Our Surviving the Holidays seminar helps participants discover:
- How to deal with emotions
- What to do about traditions
- Helpful tips for surviving social events
- How to find hope for the future
“You’ve lost a loved one and the holidays are here. All you want to do is go away and come back in January!” exclaimed Laura Dukes, a presenter at Surviving the Holidays. Her husband, David, died of Covid in 2020, just before Christmas. She had the kids and grandkids to consider and did what she had to do. Grief would have to wait.
When Laura came to a GriefShare event, she began to understand that grief was not a life sentence, but a sign of being human.
Grief is harder around the holidays. At GriefShare you’ll meet people who will listen, without judgement, and share helpful insights and advice.
Surviving the Holidays prepares you to deal with the yearly traditions, expectations, social events, “good cheer” and the emotions that can blindside you. You can lessen the emotional impact by knowing what to expect and being prepared. Surviving the Holidays is here to help.
This is what you can expect:
- The event begins with a 35-minute video that will help you feel understood and encouraged, with stories of people who have found healing after loss and practical tips from experts.
- Following the video, you’ll have the chance to talk with others who have lost a loved one, discussed what you’ve learned on the video and ask questions about any concerns you have. There’s no pressure to share. You will still benefit from listening to others.
- You will be given a Survival Guide with tips on how to navigate the season, including coping with painful emotions, handling social events and traditions and more.
More than just practical tips, GriefShare’s Surviving the Holidays is a community of people who know what it’s like to walk through the holiday in grief. You will find connection and comfort in knowing you’re not alone this season. People who have attended repeatedly share how helpful this event has been for them.
Andrea, who attended this event, said, “Knowing I was not alone – and that these people understood my emotions – was a powerful thing to experience.”
In Crestline, Surviving the Holidays will be at Lake Gregory Church on Nov. 3 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
In Lake Arrowhead, Surviving the Holidays will be at Church of the Woods, Nov. 5, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
For more information, visit www.griefshare.org/holidays.
To save a place at the table, email Dr. Ginger (askdrginger9@icloud.com) with your name and email address, and she will send you an invite to the gathering. Then join us on either Nov. 3 or Nov. 5.
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