The holiday season can be a difficult time for families who are missing a loved one. For those people, the Chesapeake Life Center offers its Living with Loss through the Holidays workshop to help adults, children and teens find a way to copy with their grief while the rest of the world seems to be filled with festivities.
While adults who are grieving often want to avoid the holidays and wish they could skip them all together, children are not as prone to losing their excitement. They still want to participate in the season’s traditions.
The balance for parents and caregivers can be tricky. Part of the grieving process can require backing away from the hectic nature of the holidays. At the same time, they want to try to keep a sense of normalcy for their children by honoring seasonal traditions. Finding that compromise takes some thoughtful planning and preparation, and careful, appropriate communication with the entire family.
In this workshop led by grief professionals, participants can join in group activities to help them find a way to honor the memory of their loved ones while still granting themselves permission to grieve. For youth ages 6 to 18, the program will offer participants an opportunity to take part in holiday-themed activities that will help them learn about getting through the holidays without their special person.
This year’s holiday program will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, Maryland. The cost is $10 per person. Registration is required and can be completed by calling 1-888-501-7077 or emailing griefinfo@chesapeakelifecenter.org.
