We have to know what to expect for the holidays, and that would be pain from

that empty space of whose missing.  It's important to have someone to share the pain

with, if not a friend or family member, there are various support groups like this On LIne 

Grief Support, or churches, libraries, and others available in your community.

The holidays were always comforting and frustrating for me, but this year will definitely be challenging and painful.  We just have to know and believe that we will make it through them.  

I have my two sons, and my Father who is still grieving the loss of his wife (my Mom).

Also, a long distance friend I call Sally G!  Have never met her, but she really gives me a boost and we always

have each other for support.

And I'm sure glad all of my other friends are right here on OLGS!
Thank you all and as difficult as it can get, try to roll along with it because before you know it, the
Holidays will be behind us and we will still have Grief Mountain to climb!

I read the following on line and I hope it helps.

It's okay to cry. Crying is cathartic. It purges your spirit of heartache and pain.

The act of crying is like washing a dirty cup. The water washes away the contaminates that are on the cup. A dirty cup has one purpose, and that's to be cleaned.

A wounded soul has only one purpose, and that is to be restored.

No one can tell you how long is an appropriate time to cry. Just like no one can say, "This is how long you must wash a cup, no more and no less." Time-lines don't work because some cups need to be washed longer than others because they are dirtier than others.

The same is true for our souls. Some people have more pain than others and need to cry longer to be healed. Breaking up with a boyfriend causes pain, but it is not the same as losing a pet. Both are eclipsed by the death of a spouse or a child.

How do we know it's time to move on with our lives and stop crying? The answer is when your cup is clean. If I were continually washing the same cup over and over and refused to use it for anything else, it would be a sign of a deeper problem. 

Right now your life may be filled with heartache and tears, but one day something else will try to come in. That is the equivalent to using the cup again. Tears are okay. Tears are needed, but when laughter presents itself, let it come.

Michael