19/12/2025
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A Christmas for Grieving Hearts
May we, who are still grieving,
whether it be weeks, months, or years,
be spared the pressure to be brave,
or bright,
or healed this Christmas.
May we not be expected to be cheerful
while we are still in survival mode,
or while we may still be experiencing shock or disbelief.
For us who grieve,
December can feel like a stage
we are expected to step onto,
rehearsed lines in hand,
asked to perform versions of ourselves
that no longer exist.
May we accept ourselves exactly as we are,
and may our grief be recognized and accepted
by our loved ones:
in our absence of sparkle,
in the way we leave early,
in the way our eyes wander
when a song comes on,
in the way we measure our energy
like a precious, limited resource.
Grief is not a failure to participate in seasonal celebrations;
it is evidence of a love that mattered deeply.
May we be spared the well-meaning urgencies:
be strong,
stay busy,
focus on the good.
May no one rush us
toward a finish line that does not exist.
Healing is not a holiday task,
and courage does not always look like smiling through dinner.
Sometimes it looks like staying home.
Sometimes it looks like surviving the day
without explaining ourselves.
May this Christmas make room for the invisible,
for empty chairs and altered traditions,
for the ache that sharpens when lights go up
and the world insists on joy.
May we know that missing someone
is not ingratitude for what remains;
it is the continuation of love.
And if peace comes,
may it come gently,
without expectation.
If it does not,
may we still be held,
and be given permission
to be human
in a season
that forgets how complicated love can be.
…and may the spaces they once filled be met with loving remembrance.
~ 'A Christmas for Grieving Hearts' by Spirit of a Hippie
✍️ Mary Anne Byrne
~ Art by Olamik
