Holidays. People either love them or loathe them. Rarely have I seen ambivalence or neutrality.
For the widowed it’s a clear reminder of life and of death. Glad to have lived to see another Christmas, yet yearning for our spouse or loved one to share it with us. And a gut-wrenching reminder that they never will again.
So what are we do to? For us, we keep going. Just adding more to our already-full plate. Solo parenting becomes heavier with the need to somehow make up for the parent lost. To ease the grief our children carry. To show them a Christmas without Daddy around is still a good Christmas anyway. We try our hardest to make it better. At least a little.
What about those selfless ones who wish to help? I’ve come across many articles and tips for those who have a heart for helping the widowed. 10 tips to help a widow. 5 things every widowed person wish you knew.
The articles abound, but what it really comes down to is this:
JUST DO SOMETHING.
Anything.
You don’t need the right words. Don’t need to wait for the perfect time. You don’t need to wait at all.
Just do something.
An uplifting message. A phone call. A surprise package after a long day at work. A meal delivered in time for dinner.
Anything.
There are no magic words or perfect time to hit “send” on that text you’ve written.
Nothing anyone can say or do will bring our loved one back. There is never a good time to lose a spouse, but there always is a good time to do something that reminds us that we are not forgotten.
Our families may have left us. We may have lost friends who were never meant to be with us the entire way.
We may be solely reliant on those who have a heart for serving others. To these wonderful people who have saved our family time and time again, you’ve done it right.
You’ve loved my children. You’ve loved me. You’ve not waited for a text from me; you did something. Anything. And it helped. More than you could ever know.
It really is that simple.
Just do something. Anything.
And know in whatever you do, you’ve given us this, which no one can ever take away…
Hope. đź’™
#laughterafterdeath #lookingintherearviewmirror #itsme #lifebeginsnow