• Child Loss,  Christmas,  Congenital Heart Disease,  Grief

    How Can I Help My Grieving Friend at Christmas?

    The Christmas season comes with many fond memories and special traditions. Those affected by the loss of a loved one will need extra support as they face the holidays. It is so painful to embrace new traditions and experience old ones without those we love. It is also difficult to watch a friend or family member go through these waves of grief while also navigating the festivities of Christmas. You want to communicate that you love your friend and that you care about this significant loss. But how can you practically help a grieving friend face the holiday season? Over the last few years, I have learned a few simple…

  • Christmas,  Grief

    To Those Hurting This Christmas

    I love traditions. As a young family, we are still deciding on traditions to build into the Christmas season. So far the last two years, we put up our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving and then drove around our town with hot chocolate while looking at the Christmas lights. While I love to build memories with my family, I am always juggling the big emotions of Christmas fun with the heavy emotions as a mom of loss. It is impossible not to notice my son missing from each and every festivity and family photo. He is part of me and yet he is not here. Just today as I…