Celebrating Family While Still Grieving
When my husband and I decided to adopt two little girls, we also decided that we would celebrate our “Forever Family,” a phrase used often in the world of adoptive families.
We decided that we would find a day when everyone could come together for one day in the summer and we would spend that time together eating good food, playing games, laughing, drinking, and just enjoying being together.
This celebration happened each year for about four years before my family found themselves in a whirlwind of loss. After my husband died, I didn’t want to celebrate the idea of family anymore. The most important person, to me would never be able to join us again and I feared that it would hurt too much to even try.
But, this year, we finally did! And I’m glad that we did! As always, our celebration was held outdoors. There is something about nature that heals and soothes the soul. We rented a pontoon boat and spent the day cruising, eating, swimming, laughing, drinking, and just being together. Living in the middle of a forest, there is something calming about stepping out of the shade and being in the open area of a chain of lakes.
While we had fun, something was noticeably missing. My husband. We all felt the hole…. the void of him, but I also enjoyed having all of my family together. Having my oldest daughter with her new fiance, my second daughter with her new boyfriend, my little girls with their whole family together, including our dog Kricket, made the day truly special.
If you, or someone you care about is dealing with grief, here are some tips for coping with grief from people who are dealing with it themselves!
If you, or someone you care about is dealing with grief, here are some tips for coping with grief from people who are dealing with it themselves!
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