Holidays
Holidays
A Christmas Story: A Child Shall Lead Them

A Christmas Story: A Child Shall Lead Them

It was just a few more days until Christmas in San Francisco, and the shopping downtown was starting to get to us. I remember crowds of people waiting impatiently for slow-moving buses and streetcars on those little cement islands in the middle of the street.
Most of us were loaded down with packages, and it looked like many of us were beginning to wonder if all those countless friends and relatives actually deserved so many gifts in the first place.

DeathHolidaysRespect the Grief Journey
Handling the Holiday When Grief is a Visitor

Handling the Holiday When Grief is a Visitor

By Father Charles Hudson. Source from Reclaiming Christmas, by Ginger Jurries. When faced with the loss of a loved one we are forced to make a decision to help ourselves move through the pain. The holidays increase the pain because they validate the absence and the death of our child or sibling (or mate) and challenge us to make some basic decisions on just how we will get through the next few weeks. I would like to make a few suggestions for you to ponder and decide upon as the holidays descend upon us.

Aging & ElderlyHolidaysWisdomWisdom Podcasts
Gifts for the Elderly Living in a Nursing Home

Gifts for the Elderly Living in a Nursing Home

Elderly people have their own unique needs and wants to consider when deciding on what to give them for Christmas. They will be delighted to receive a present that truly reflects your love and care, because it is tailored to their specific situation.

Some elderly people still live independently in their own homes, making one type of gift appropriate, while others reside in nursing homes and have a different set of Christmas wishes.

Holidays
Won’t Be Home for the Holidays

Won’t Be Home for the Holidays

If you’ve lost someone through illness or accident and are dreading the holidays, the following ideas from Mothers against Drunk Drivers (MADD) may help. Don’t plan to be miserable.
After experiencing a loss, there is a tendency to think that you’ll never be happy again. While there may be difficult times, know that there will also be times of love, joy, and of reaching out to others. Expect to fully experience the happy as well as the sad.