BARRY’S BAY – November has barely begun and already, the holiday season is in the air.
Television programs bombard viewers with advertisements and the odd festive song has made its way to the radio.
What might be the most wonderful time of the year for some could be another’s worst nightmare. The family matriarch who planned and hosted the annual Christmas dinner might have passed, or perhaps it was a beloved husband who always cuts down the Christmas tree. For some, it can be overwhelming thinking about how to deal with the annual traditions left behind by a loved one.
It doesn’t help that the holidays stretch for months, reminding grievers again and again of the forthcoming celebrations.
“For grievers, the start getting assaulted all of November, all of December and into January,” Grief Educator and Counsellor Dawn Cruchet said.
That’s why the Madawaska Valley Hospice Palliative Care Program puts on an annual seminar at the end of November, now called Help for the Holidays. It helps people in all stages of their grief to get through what can be a difficult time of year.
“By acknowledging it early, it gives them a time to honour their person. It gives them a bit of support to actually get through the actual holiday,” Cruchet said.
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