Make room for grief during holidays

While many people get to spend the holiday season surrounded by those who love them most, for others it’s a constant reminder of loved ones who aren’t there. “If you are grieving someone, there is a layer of loneliness and longing and just sadness,” said Sandy Lemen, programs director at Collective for Hope. Lemen oversees Grief’s Journey, which offers free peer-to-peer grief support groups. She has some ideas to help loved ones who are grieving. That includes giving them permission to be who they are, even sad, and to not run away from the reason they’re grieving.