When Holidays Feel Different: Navigating Grief & Life Changes

In this episode, we explore the emotional complexities of navigating grief during the holiday season with Amber Stanley, a licensed social worker and author of Everyday Life and Loss Grief Workbook. Amber brings her expertise from years of hospice work and bereavement counseling to help listeners understand why holidays can be particularly challenging when dealing with loss, explaining how the constant reminders and nostalgia create a mix of emotions that affect us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Our host, Darleen Mahoney, shares personal stories of losing the large, multigenerational holiday gatherings she cherished as a child, while Amber offers practical strategies for managing expectations, simplifying traditions, and creating meaningful rituals that honor deceased loved ones. We also discuss the importance of avoiding unhealthy isolation, supporting grieving family members, and involving children in age-appropriate memory-making activities. Through touching anecdotes—including a humorous story about an ugly purple bathrobe—we discover that it's often the imperfect moments that create the most meaningful memories.

Tune in to discover compassionate guidance on maintaining healthy behaviors during this stressful season, creating new traditions while honoring the past, and remembering that it's okay to let good enough be good enough. Whether you're experiencing your first holiday season after a loss or supporting someone who is grieving, this episode offers invaluable insights and practical advice for finding moments of connection and peace during the holidays. Don't miss it!

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