A Spirited Christmas 2014

Oh, the holidays. As you may know by now, the holidays have been tough for me since my mom passed away. I decided to do something a little different this year. Starting today, December 1st through Christmas Day, I will be sharing something each day in hopes of making this special season a little more bright for those of us who’ve lost a loved one.

I will be sharing things such as journal prompts, quotes, and festive activities for us to do as we go through this holiday season without those we have lost. I will be posting each day on Instagram as well as on my Facebook page! All are welcome to participate and I would love for you to join me on the journal prompts and activities. Tag your photos using the hashtag #ASpiritedChristmas

Although I won’t be sharing every day here on the blog, I definitely want to share Day One with you because not only is it important, it’s also a great way to get into the holiday spirit! Here it is:

Start your own tradition

When a loved one passes away, the holidays change. You’re left with the empty chair, the missing laughter, the gifts no longer under the tree. It can be very difficult to get through the holidays in merry spirits (another reason I’ve created #ASpiritedChristmas)

So, a wonderful way for us to welcome new memories into the holidays is by starting our own traditions! Don’t worry, old traditions will also be talked about later in the month!

What tradition of your own can you begin this year that you can continue doing for years to come? An activity that will bring you joy and will be something to look forward to.

This year, believe it or not, is the first year I’ve had my own Christmas tree. I knew right away that I wanted to start a new tradition, one similar to the tradition we had in my household growing up. So, this year, I decorate my Christmas tree while sipping on eggnog in my special Santa mug with one of my favorite Christmas films on in the background.

I can already say that adding this new tradition to my holiday season has brought so much light into a time that is usually rather dark for me. I truly felt the Spirit of Christmas. I felt the love in the air as I hung the ornaments. Perhaps my mom was there too, smiling along as she watched.

Christmas and the holidays are never going to be the same after losing a loved one. Nothing can bring them back. However, there are ways to bring joy into our lives and those of our family. There are ways to honor our loved ones and all the memories we’ve shared. There are ways to recognize their spirit around us as we go about our holiday shopping and old traditions (as well as new!)

Join me for this lovely journey of #ASpiritedChristmas – Let us lean on one another and remember those we’ve lost at this special time of year.