11/28/2025
The day after a holiday when you’re grieving can feel like somebody walked over to your heart, pinched the end of your balloon, and just let all the air hiss out.
One minute there was noise, distraction, and maybe even a few smiles, and the next, it’s you, the quiet, and the ache.
There’s something about the day after a holiday that hits especially hard when you’re missing someone you love. The build‑up, the plans, the food, the memories, the “How are you holding up?” messages, all of that suddenly stops, and you’re left with the emotional equivalent of a sink full of dirty dishes and a heart that feels like a deflated party balloon on the floor.
Even if the holiday itself was hard, it at least came with a script: things to do, places to be, people to text back. The day after? No script. Just the weight of “back to normal,” when nothing about your life feels normal anymore.
In the beginning, people check on you more. They might invite you, include you, send you “thinking of you” messages, and then life pulls them back into their own routines.
The holiday ends, and so does much of the extra support, while your grief is still sitting there like, “Oh, we’re not done. Not even close.”
Here’s the thing…that’s the lonely part, realizing the world has moved on to leftovers and sales while you’re still just trying to breathe.
It can make the emotional crash after a holiday feel even more intense, even if you handled the actual day better than you expected.
Grief often gets louder when the noise dies down and the calendar flips.
You’re allowed to be tired, emotional, numb, short‑tempered, or all of the above in the same moment.
The good news is, even a deflated balloon can get a little air back in it, just not all at once.
Sometimes it’s a phone call, a walk, a good cry in the shower, or a memory that pops into your head.
And I’m pretty sure…you’re probably not the only one feeling like a deflated balloon today.
Gary Sturgis - Surviving Grief
