Grief and Simplicity
Simplicity and Letting Go
Reflection By Scott Stoner
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; … a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
Grief is a common emotion during the holiday season. It is natural to reminisce about past celebrations and to miss loved ones who are no longer with us. Perhaps this is the first Christmas since a loved one has died, moved away, or there has been a separation of a different type that means you will not be together this year.
If we are not mindful, a common response when we are grieving is to try to hold on to the past, sometimes to the point of denying that this holiday season will be different. We may even go so far as to pretend to not feel the sorrow or pain. Difficulty letting go of past ways of celebrating the holidays can be an indication of unresolved grief.
If things are different for us this year, or have been for a while, we can embrace our new reality by choosing to simplify how we will celebrate. The hard work of accepting that we no longer can do what we used to do can open up new possibilities, maybe for a simpler, perhaps more spiritual, focus on Advent and Christmas.
Making It Personal: Are you experiencing grief or loss this holiday season? How can you both honor your grief and be open to new possibilities that might be present for you this year? In honoring that grief, is there any way you wish to simplify how you celebrate Advent and Christmas?