updated December 12, 2025
Although this season brings fun and festivities, many of us find it hard to feel joyful when our hearts are heavy with grief.
Whether from a recent loss, or one many years ago, grieving for the loved ones who won’t be here to celebrate with us can dampen our holiday spirit and lead to depression.
- I think of my friend who has lost both a sister and a son this year.
- I remember my friends who tragically lost their teenage daughter in a car wreck just a few days before Christmas many years ago.
- I consider my medical colleague who is battling cancer.
- My heart aches for my friends who lost a young aunt to an undiagnosed medical condition that suddenly proved fatal.
- I’m sad for my friends and their children who will spend their first Christmas after a divorce.
- And my husband and I still grieve the loss of our parents and siblings at Christmas even after many years.
As one friend wrote-
“This is my second Christmas without my husband. It has been tough, but also a reminder that God is the god of all comfort. That works for me. And… it is a reminder to pray comfort to anyone who has faced a loss of a loved one including precious pets. Loss from any source needs a comforting friend.”
If you know someone who needs a “comforting friend”, please take the time to reach out to them so they know someone cares and they are not alone.
What to say to grieving people.
“Honestly, the most painful thing is when you’ve had a loss and someone around you—because of the awkwardness — never acknowledges it. That’s what hurts the most.”
Nancy Guthrie
Coping with grief and loss during the holidays
“Grief is not a tidy, orderly process, and there is no right way to grieve. Every person—and every family—does it differently. This can cause emotions to collide and overlap, especially during the holiday season when the emphasis is on rebirth and renewal.”
Harvard Health
My family and I wish you all health and wholeness in body, mind, and spirit.
Dr. Aletha
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