The most wonderful time of the year is not so wonderful for people who are grieving. Here are two ways you can help grieving friends and family during the holidays
Show Up
Showing up is the easiest thing you can do to help someone grieving. There does come a time when friends (and sometimes family) go back to their normal life and loneliness sets in. It is a powerful and intense feeling easily curable by showing up.
I will let Anne Bogel of ModernMrsDarcy explain showing up. Her article reduced me to tears because not enough people believe in showing up. Here is the link to her article On Showing Up.
Drink Deep
The second way you can help is to Drink Deep.
Steve Siler, of musicforthesoul.org , and his fellow musicians and singers recorded an album entitled Drink Deep, A Musical Journey Through Grief.
The songs on the CD accurately capture everything from getting the phone call:
No!
This can’t be happening
Start this day over againNo!
to the loneliness that sets in after everyone moves forward with their life:
After the crowds are gone
And the silence settles in
No more cards left in your mailbox
The phone no longer rings
The solitude will whisper
Tempting you to stay withdrawn
After the crowds are goneAfter The Crowds Are Gone
to having good days again:
I laughed with a good friend
and was caught by surprise
to feel joy again
Today was a good dayToday
and ends with Christ’s victory over death.
Death has been conquered
The victory won
Christ lives forever with God’s daughters and sonsDeath Has Been Conquered
I never believed anyone could so accurately and beautifully capture the emotions of grief but Steve and fellow collaborators did that on Drink Deep.
I encourage you to purchase this beautiful 14 song album and share it with someone grieving so they will feel God’s love, comfort and encouragement this holiday season.
Also purchase a copy for yourself so you will better understand what happens when traveling through a grief journey.
Will you Drink Deep and show up for a grieving person this holiday season?
Additional Resource:
Here is the link to my original article containing links to Chris Fabry’s interview with Steve about the album and about grief ambushes.
JoyReturns 