36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. (Luke 20:36)Losing any loved ones, before the holidays, is not easy. I feel the pain of families having to go through any celebratory events the first time without loved ones. Earlier last month, the doctors did all they could, given the fact that the hospital did not have any cardiac facilities. Nonetheless, my father didn't suffer. It was sudden and quick. My dad left us with a smiling face before we laid him to rest. There are still times when I would have exciting news to share, only to stop myself before I would send my dad an email.
When I heard the song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", I was crying uncontrollably at the part where the song went, "someday soon, we all will be together". Grieving is a personal journey. Too often, I've been given the advice: "Be strong." It is tiring having to live up to the expectations of a stoic society, hiding behind a smile.
This Christmas, I won't be celebrating. I've politely turned down all Christmas obligations. In Victorian times, I have been told, they don't celebrate any events for a year. The Chinese culture is almost similar: grieving period is 100 days. It would give us the chance to be close with the remaining family that we've got. Love will keep us together; that would be Christmas enough.
It will be difficult, but as long as we are alongside with family, it is perfectly okay to grief openly. It seems much more noticeable since everyone else is cheerful and having a good time. My advice? Don't worry about what others would say because they probably might not really understand the pain of losing someone close until it happens to them. Chances are that they would respect your need to grief and give you space or offer you hugs.
My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost a loved one before Christmas this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment