TAPS is partnering with National Grief Support Week to help provide extra support and comfort for those who are grieving a loss during the holidays. The holidays can be particularly painful when you are grieving and hurting from the death of somone you love.
Being held December 15-21, National Grief Support Week, brings organizations and people together to recognize and comfort our friends, relatives and neighbors who are grieving, and to surround them with compassionate, loving support during the holiday season.
How can you help your friends who are hurting from the death of someone close to them at this time of year?
Continue reaching out to them. Don't avoid inviting them to events and activities because they are bereaved and still hurting. But do allow them to decide the level of involvement they would like to have in holiday activities and get togethers.
Offer to walk alongside them, but don't try to stand in their shoes. Each of us grieve differently, and no two grief journeys are alike. Being there for the person gives them help and support. Judging them or equating their experience to your own often sets up an emotional barrier and isolates the person who is grieving.
Be a good friend. Remember the things you did with the person before they experienced this loss. Offer to spend time with the person who is bereaved and remain their friend. Don't run away in the grocery store because you don't know what to say or it's awkward. You can still be their friend.
Realize that the holidays are challenging for people who are grieving. This can be a tough time for people who are hurting. The holidays often cause memories to surface, and drive home the reality of a loved one's death and its finality. Sometimes the holiday traditions that used to bring so much joy, now cause pain. Respect the person's choices about their involvement, and don't judge them.
As part of being a partnering organization with National Grief Support Week, TAPS issued the following tips to help survivors dealing with loss over the holidays:
Tips from TAPS for dealing with grief over the holidays
Tips from TAPS for supporting children who are grieving during the holidays
Holiday tips for deailng with grief - links to articles, tips, and additional resources from TAPS
As part of National Grief Support Week, the organizers are encouraging people to watch a film called "Motherland," which follows the journey of six bereaved mothers as they visit South Africa to help improve the lives of children there. In the process, they find a strength they did not know they possessed.
Learn more on the website for the Motherland Film and National Grief Support Week