Healing Rituals for Holiday Grief
Cremation services Morton Grove, IL, help lay your loved one to rest. However, losing a loved one can bring unprecedented pain and suffering. The holiday season further magnifies the loneliness and grief; you may find yourself reminiscing the happy moments spent with the departed soul. The absence of the loved one can take a significant toll on your mental and physical health during the first holiday season.
Given this, below are a few rituals you can practice to grieve healthily – with or without family and friends.
Write a Letter
Begin your day by writing a letter to the loved one expressing your feelings and emotions. Include the happy memories of the holidays spent together, the moments of joy, and how their absence makes you feel alone and sad.
Write it by heart and reflect how much you loved them and let your heart rule the words you’re writing.
Watch a Movie
Consider watching a movie that reminds you of the loved one. It may be the first movie you watched together or their favorite one. This ritual symbolizes both sadness and hope for the future. It depicts the loved one has a permanent place in your heart but you are also ready to move on.
Have a Toast
If your loved one was a foodie, then given them a tribute by cooking their favorite meal, inviting friends and family over to your house, and having a toast in their name. You can ask the guests to share one memory of the departed soul to honor them collectively.
If you don’t want to invite anyone then the best way is to serve their favorite meal at an orphanage or a homeless shelter.
Volunteer Yourself
Nothing is better than serving your community in the name of your loved one. Helping others in the name of your loved one is the best way to pay your respects. It can be anything from a donation to spending time with the elderly in a nursing home or volunteering for any other community service project.
Not only can it distract your mind from the painful memories but it can give you enough will and strength to go through the grief journey. If your loved one had a special affection for an organization or cause, why not commence a scholarship or a monthly or yearly donation or volunteer your time?
Knowing that you’re enriching people’s lives and making them happy and feel cared for can uplift your spirits.
Participate in a Family Tradition
Many families have special, traditional plans in place for the holiday season. Try to participate in the activities your loved one loved to partake. Perhaps it’s decorating the Christmas tree or decorating a wreath with items that reminded you of your loved one.
It can be displaying family pictures or happy memories of the loved ones or crafting with your children or grandchildren or the elder family members.
Light a Candle
Lighting a candle is a centuries-old tradition of showing your respect for the deceased. It signifies the memory still lives on and burns bright even though the physical presence of the loved one has gone forever after cremation services Morton Grove, IL.