Grief and Loss During the Holidays
It’s the beginning of the holiday season – a time of joy, happiness, excitement, family get-togethers, fun, and more. Unfortunately, for some it may also include times of grief and loss and the sorrow that comes along. My beloved father got very ill during Thanksgiving a few years ago and passed away right after the New Year. I still have vivid memories of sitting in our Roseville living room, looking at Christmas decorations, and wondering if we should put them up. We did some, mostly for the grandkids’ sake, but it was definitely a challenge.
We were encouraged then with some excellent resources I had discovered a few years prior and I’m very happy to say those resources, and more, are available today to help any of you who are going through a sad season during the holidays, or throughout the year. Griefshare.org is a website I discovered when they were about four years old. In the last 14 years, I have been blessed by them personally and I have shared them with others. Each time, I have found more resources added and all have been helpful. I was very pleased to discover that Griefshare.org now offers a Seminar to help you deal with grieving during the holiday season.
Roseville California Area Resources
I checked and there are churches hosting these holiday seminars within 6 – 25 miles of Roseville, CA. Their search page allows you to type in your zip code and then shows you the churches currently registered.
Some of the local Roseville CA options for 2015 include:
- Bayside of Citrus Heights – Surviving the Holidays seminar is especially for people who are grieving a loved one. This is a a very resource-full two hour seminar on Dec 13 from 1-3pm. Sign up at the LifeGroup table on Sunday or email LifeGroups@baysidech.com.
- Bayside Church – Care Connection – Several options for those dealing with grief and sorrow through the holidays, for a variety of reasons.
- Bayside Church – Surviving the Holidays Grief Care – A grief care group specifically designed to provide support through the holiday season for those who have lost a loved one. We’ll be meeting every Monday beginning November 2 – January 4, 2016. Contact Deb and John Kirkpatrick for pre-registration and location: (530) 888-6912.
- Bridgeway Christian Church – GRIEF SHARE WORKSHOP: SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS – “In past years, the Christmas holiday season may have been a time of great anticipation and excitement … but this year, the prospect of facing the holidays without your loved one may cause anxiety and dread. You are not alone. In one short evening you can connect with support, encouragement, and advice to survive the holidays. We hope you will discover practical, stress-reducing ideas that will help you face the holiday season and discover why it’s still possible to celebrate. FRIDAY 11.6.15 @ 6:30pm to 9:00pm, Held in Room 302 (Located between the Hub and the Church Office) – Event is free but please RSVP by CLICKING HERE. For more info – email Heather at hjohnson@bridgewaychristian.org
- Hillside Christian Church – GriefShare is a 14-week group for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Each week’s topic stands alone and offers tools to help you on your journey. The class will meet Tuesday evenings from 7:00 – 9:00pm at the Roseville Campus Discovery Corner, and will wrap up December 15th. Please register below. For more information, contact carolyn.mendoza@hillsidewired.com.
If you’re not able to get out to a local church for the holiday seminar, they also have some excellent articles about the holidays and dealing with grief on their website.
Of course, grief never takes a holiday. Thus, you can also find their local grief support groups all year long all across the country. CLICKING HERE takes you to the search page to find the the ones closest to you. There are some in the Roseville, California area. Be sure to scroll all the way down as there are other churches they work with that may have classes available now, or soon, that just don’t have the times listed on their website. Those sites are listed at the bottom of the page.
Grief and Loss Resource Book
A favorite resource of theirs that I have greatly appreciated and that I also love to share with those dealing with the sorrow that accompanies grief and loss is their free one-year subscription for daily emails of comforting thoughts. Recently, I was thrilled to discover they have also compiled this one-year series into a book and I have already ordered a copy.
Other Resources for Those Grieving During the Holidays
There may also be other Holiday Care Groups that will be meeting regularly during the holiday season 2015. For example, Bayside Church at will be hosting a grief care group specifically designed to provide support through the holiday season for those who have lost a loved one. They’ll be meeting every Monday beginning November 2 – January 4, 2016. (Contact Deb and John Kirkpatrick for pre-registration and location: (530) 888-6912.)
Grief and Loss
Dealing with grief and loss is never easy whether you are living in Roseville CA or beyond. But great resources like Griefshare.org or a local church’s care groups can be a big help to us and our loved ones and I highly recommend checking into them.
Kaye
P.S. Another excellent and encouraging book is Randy Alcorn’s 90 Days of God’s Goodness.
