Surviving the holidays after the death of a loved one can seem challenging. From little details like “Who’ll make the gravy?” to paralyzing obstacles – like the inability to breathe, let alone cook, clean, shop, decorate and entertain – when you’re mired in grief, the fast-approaching festive season can be a source of dread instead of a time of joy and anticipation.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone. Join members of the St. Alphonsus Parish bereavement ministry team at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, for “Hope for the Holidays for the Bereaved,” a free two-hour program designed to help you navigate the holidays in a way that honors your departed loved one while empowering you to respect your own needs and set boundaries through what can arguably be the most stressful time of year.
This session is open to the public and will take place at Liguori Hall in the parish life center, 151 St. Alphonsus Way. Attendees don’t need to be Catholic, just grieving and open to healing.
Facilitators will guide participants through several practical tips for the upcoming holidays, including specific ideas to help make them seem less daunting
Losing a loved one is never easy, and now, with the major family holidays mere weeks away, it can seem even more like you’re stuck in a time vacuum.
“Everyone always expects the holidays to be this perfect, happy time of year,” said Rita Reali, one of the presenters of the pre-holiday program. “The truth is, they aren’t. Not when you’ve lost a parent, a spouse, a sibling – even your child. Your world implodes. It just kind of stops, and you can’t start it back up again – even if you wanted to. You’re hurting and you just don’t know how to go on.”
That’s why Sr. Mauryeen O’Brien developed the “Hope for the Holidays for the Bereaved” program in Connecticut in the 1980s. She also authored several books on loss and grieving. One of them is The New Day Journal: A Journey from Grief to Healing, which accompanies the nine-week Catholic-based bereavement program she established for the Archdiocese of Hartford.
St. Alphonsus Parish recently launched the New Day program, after several members recognized the growing need for such a ministry there.
“My home parish instituted ‘New Day’ in ’98,” Reali recalled. “I trained in bereavement support under Sister Mauryeen, who was an amazingly compassionate woman. And now, to see her life’s work carried on down here in Tennessee is tremendously gratifying.”
To register for “Hope for the Holidays for the Bereaved,” email Reali at rita@realifamily.com.