Take care of you, dear one

Today is a hard day for you. You’re fighting the tears. You hate how the table looks. You don’t care about the turkey dinner anymore. Yes. Today is a hard day for you.

You’ve probably read the articles. 10 Ways to Grieve During the Holidays. Holiday Grief Activities. How to Cope with Loss During the Holidays. I promise not to add one more.

All I want is to speak to you from my heart. To let you know how much my heart aches that you’re going through this season of loss. I may not know the exact details of your loss, but I am no stranger to pain.

Here’s what I’m feeling guided to share with you. Dreading this day didn’t make it go away. Dreading anything never does. It’s so much easier on the heart when you can make room for the sorrow instead of trying to push it away.

• Know that it’s going to be hard.
• Know that you’re going to feel awful.
• Know that this Thanksgiving will sear it in your heart that the holiday is changed forever.

When you can simply accept where you are, it becomes easier to breathe. Suffering is difficult. But resistance is so much harder. Not wanting the day to show up creates way more suffering than when the day eventually shows up.

So know that you’re not alone, even if you feel alone. There are millions of people all over the world who are walking in your shoes. Missing a loved one. Crying from the heartache. Knowing that life will never be the same ever again.

The best thing you can do for yourself today is take care of you. What does that look like?

• Be okay with all the feelings that show up.
• Try not to judge how you feel.
• Ask for permission not to be okay.
• Create your own self-care rituals for today.
• Say NO when you feel like saying NO.
• Say YES to what feels right.

I send you love and have a place for you in my heart. Take care of you, dear one.