FRANKTALKS.COM
  • Home
    • WHY HIRE FRANK?
    • QUIZ - Need Coaching?
  • COACHING SYSTEMS
    • BUY COACHING HERE
    • PER HOUR COACHING
    • DATING DEBRIEF
    • EMOTIONAL NEEDS SYSTEM
    • ADULT MALE VIRGINS SYSTEM
    • Single No More System
    • Couples Coaching System
    • Coping With Loss System
    • ACCOUNTABILITY COACHING
  • HEALTH
  • AUDIO
  • BOOKS
    • FRANÇAISE
    • ESPAÑOL
    • TADPOLE TALKS
    • AFFILIATES
    • OFF SITE AFFILIATES
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
    • GUEST SPEAKER, Celebrity & PEER REVIEW
    • MEDIA
    • THE BEST MEDIA APPEARANCE

Mourning Loss Over The Holidays

12/5/2016

0 Comments

 
bereavement during the holidays
coping with loss during the holidays
Mourning for the Holidays
By Frank Kermit


Doesn't it seem like so many people die around the holiday season?
 
I wrote this article after I attended the funeral of an old colleague of mine.

I made every effort to attend the wake and the funeral. Meeting his family for the first time and feeling their grief reminded me that the holidays are not always a time a joyous celebration.
 
For many people it is a time of mourning and bereavement remembering lost loved ones. There is never a good time to deal with the death of someone you love, and for it to happen so close to the holidays is no exception. What it does mean is that the holidays will be more challenging as people still come together, and the need for compassion and understanding is at an all time high. It is not just because grief will cause people to be sad when most people are expected to be enthralled with making merry. It has to do with the different ways that people grieve.
 
One person's method of grieving may be completely out of line with how another person expresses sorrow. If you remember one lesson from this article, it is this: Show compassion and acceptance for the way someone needs to grieve, even if it is the exact opposite of what you would prefer that person utilizes to manage mourning. Since the funeral, I have been swarmed with memories of Christmas pasts. I wanted to share some with you and also share some ideas about mourning the holidays.
 
When my grandfather died in the 1980s, I was still in elementary school, and too young to really understand the effects of grieving for death. What I remember was being taken out of school for a few days while the family came together around my widowed grandmother, and having to attend a funeral home wake and a funeral service. I do not remember understanding everything that was going on around me at the time. What I do distinctly remember is that every time I was reminded of something that I wanted to tell my grandfather, I had to come to acknowledge again and again that he was gone.
 
Other than the death of pets, it was the first time a human family member died. Although my grandfather died earlier in the year, I do have a distinct memory of how my immediate family and our extended family had to balance celebrating the holidays and honoring his memory.
 
That Christmas was a somber one. We did not have the loud massive family get together that I had become accustom too. I have a hazy memory of my grandmother breaking out in tears missing her husband at one point while being the center of attention, probably opening a gift of some kind at the table.
 
When I later returned to school in January, I was faced with that obligatory writing assignment of the (what you did over the holidays) composition. Not sure what to write given the loss my family was suffering, I asked a family member for guidance and was told to basically "make up something acceptable".
 
In short, I was told to describe a wonderful scene complete with laughter, singing Christmas songs and even threw in some street caroling on the way to a midnight mass...truly a far cry from the quiet, almost depressed real life version of a mournful holiday eve.
 
Heck, it is not like my family ever did street caroling or singing songs when they were not managing mourning the holidays anyways. Too busy talking loudly, preparing food, eating food, and then recovering from the meal.
 
What I wanted to write is exactly what happened, but for some reason it was important to that family member to keep our grief private regardless of the fact that everyone that knew me, also knew that my grandfather died (being pulled out of school for a week might have been a good hint).
 
The key word in the directive I received was the word: ACCEPTABLE. As in, it would not be acceptable for our family to experience grief at that time of year. I found it odd, but I chose to obey like a good kid. Yet, I always believed it would have been a much more interesting story if I had told the truth about what really happened that holiday.
 
The struggle was managing what -I- would have wanted to help me express -my- grief (writing about missing my grandfather and how Christmas was different this year) and what a family member wanted to help them manage their grief (keeping our pain private).
 
As the years went on, how we celebrated the holidays changed with each year. Some were marked with great celebration for the weddings that took place that year, while others reflected the emptiness left when other family members had died that year. The holidays, it seemed to me, was a time of reflecting on the changing nature of the relationships of the previous year, the loss of some of the people we loved, a reminder of the break ups and divorces happening, and a call to also remember to cherish the good news of new relationships forming and the births, adoptions, and additions of new members into the family.
 
When my father died after a very long battle with his health challenges, it marked a significant change in our identity as an immediate family. My mother was now a widow, and I was reminded of all our mortality.
 
There were a few things I left out of his eulogy that I never told anyone. One of those things is that one of his unfulfilled wishes was for him to see me get married and start a family of my own before he died.
 
A month after he died I celebrated my birthday, my first without him. With each important date that came along (his birthday, his wedding anniversary, father's day, and the holidays) it was an adjustment to the new normal.
 
With each one I tried different ways to celebrate. Some of them I spent with friends, some of them with family and some I spent alone. On father's day I made a visit to the cemetery bringing my mother with me.
 
At Christmas, I spent it with my immediate family, and had to manage my own coping method of withdrawing from the crowd with some of my families coping methods of making mountains out of molehills.
 
At New Years Eve, I spent it alone at home making only a quick visit to another uncle recovering from heart surgery.
 
What I learned is that each person copes with grief in his or her own way. Some need to party with others, and some need to spend time alone. Some need to cry out at the casket at the funeral home, and some need to yell at the people crying out at the casket because there are people who are too uncomfortable at the expression of another's grief.
 
If there could be something I hope will make managing your mourning this holiday season easier, it is this: No matter how uncomfortable you are with the way someone expresses grief, show some compassion and simply learn to accept it.
 
If you cannot do that, at the very least, please shut the hell up. Just because you cannot handle someone else's grief does not make you -stronger- and it does not make the other person -wrong-.
 
In our pill-popping society, family members may often push for mourning relatives to be sedated, not in the best interest of the mourning relative, but because the family members feel ill-equipped to manage excessive expressions of grief. Never yell at someone for expressing grief.
 
Give that the person the space and acceptance needed to process the intense emotions. If drugs suppress those intense emotions, then those unexpressed emotions may and likely will manifest in other ways (like emotional blocks or dysfunctional self sabotaging behaviors).
 
There is no -better- way to grieve. There is only the way that works for you as long as you remember even though mourning is a personal experience, that does not mean you can not get help with managing your grief. It is OK to seek out the aid of a professional, or even a companion willing to listen and who is OK with you being vulnerable and your truest self at your lowest moment.
 
They say that we each need to live each day as if it were our last. I am not a believer of that personally for reasons too numerous to mention in this article.
 
However, I do encourage people to live each day as if it were the last day that someone you love will live. If there is someone you want to reach out too, that you need to forgive or remind that you love, or want to apologize too then do it; not because you might die tomorrow, but because that person may die tomorrow. Get the difference?
 
Once in a while, I remember someone that did something nice for me, and I will contact that person and thank him or her, not because I might not be around, but because I wonder how I will feel if I miss the chance to tell them before that person is no longer around.
 
Three weeks ago, I attended the funeral of an old colleague of mine. I made every effort to attend the wake and the funeral but I never got to tell him how much I appreciated him, his works and his talents while he was alive. Now, I never will.
 
Understanding relationships goes hand in hand with understanding the principle that every relationship you have on earth is temporary and that unions between people end either by choice (break up, separation or divorce) or in the best of cases, will end by the death of one of the people in the relationship.
 
Be mindful of this fact when you take the time we all have (or lack thereof) for granted. Happy Holidays whatever you celebrate and whomever you happen to love.
 
Frank Kermit
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Adult Male Virgins
    Break Up / Divorce
    Cheating / Infidelity
    Closure
    Coaching
    Communication
    Confidence
    Coping With Loss
    Date Night Recipes
    Dating
    Dating First Dates
    Dating Online Dating
    Dating Speed Dating
    Emotional Needs
    Engagement Proposal
    Français French
    Français - French
    Friends
    Health & Fitness
    Holidays
    In Memory Tribute
    Kink Fetish BDSM
    LGBTQ+
    Marriage
    Media / Podcasts
    Mental Health
    Monogamy
    Non Monogamy
    Older Men
    Older Women
    Parenting
    Q&A Frank Advice
    Relationships
    Romance
    Seduction
    Sex
    Sex Work
    Single
    Swingers Lifestyle
    Testimonial
    Wedding
    ZZZ...

    Archives

    January 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

    Picture

    ABOUT FRANK

    Frank Kermit MA, is an expert Relationship & Dating Coach with 25 years of experience. He is an author of original content books, eBooks and audio products.  he has written  many publications online and in print. He is frequently asked to be a guest speaker for media and events.

    MEDIA 
    APPEARANCE


    ****

    TBA


    Thank Frank Kermit
    Donate To The Tadpole Education Fund When You Want To THANK FRANK
    Coaching with Frank Kermit
    TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE. SIGN UP FOR COACHING NOW!
    incel toronto
    The Adult Male Virgin Program
    THE ADULT MALE VIRGINS HANDBOOK BY FRANK KERMIT
    LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY IN 90 DAYS!
    NOW WHAT? UNIQUE WAYS TO CATER TO HER SEXUAL E.N.A BY FRANK KERMIT
    YOU ARE NO LONGER A VIRGIN BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO IN BED. GO FROM FORGOTTEN TO UNFORGETTABLE!
    inceltears
    Coaching For Singles Looking For Love
    I'M A MAN THAT'S MY JOB WORKBOOK BY FRANK KERMIT
    BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE! BUY THE COACHING WORKBOOK FOR MEN TODAY!
    I'M A WOMAN IT'S MY TIME WORKBOOK BY FRANK KERMIT
    THERE IS COACHING WORKBOOK FOR WOMEN. TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE TODAY!
     love coaching quotes
    BUY DATING AND RELATIONSHIP COACHING WITH FRANK KERMIT
    EVERYTHING OUT OF HER MOUTH IS A TEST BY FRANK KERMIT
    DO YOU KNOW THE EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF WOMEN?
    THE EMOTIONAL NEEDS ANALYSIS OF WOMEN WORKBOOK BY FRANK KERMIT
    LEARN TO SPOT THE EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF WOMEN IN YOUR DAILY LIFE
    MASTERING THE EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF MEN ALLY VS ENEMY BY FRANK KERMIT
    DO YOU KNOW THE EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF MEN?
    THE EMOTIONAL NEEDS ANALYSIS OF MEN WORKBOOK BY FRANK KERMIT
    LEARN TO SPOT THE EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF MEN IN YOUR DAILY LIFE
    couples counseling
    Couples Coaching
    MONOGAMY AND NON MONOGAMY EDITION VOLUME 3  BY FRANK KERMIT
    AN EXPLORATION OF MONOGAMY & NON MONOGAMY LIFESTYLES
    50 ARTICLES VOLUME 2 BY FRANK KERMIT
    50 ARTICLES ON THE TOPICS OF LOVE, SEX, DATING AND RELATIONSHIPS
    100 ARTICLES VOLUME 1 BY FRANK KERMIT
    YOURS FREE WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR THE E-NEWSLETTER
    loss grief quotes
    Coping With Loss Coaching
    101 GREAT FIRST DATES 25 RULES FOR EVERYONE HOW TO ACT ON A FIRST DATE BY FRANK KERMIT
    A FAST READ TO GET YOU OUT THERE AND DATING!
    101 GREAT FIRST DATES WHAT TO SAY FRANK KERMIT
    ONCE YOU GET THE DATE READ THIS TO KNOW WHAT TO SAY.
    101 GREAT FIRST DATES WHERE TO GO BY FRANK KERMIT
    WHERE DO YOU GO ON YOUR DATES? READ THIS EASY GUIDE AND FIND SOMEWHERE NEW
    THE FRANK GUIDE TO SPEED DATING MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MINUTES TOGETHER BY FRANK KERMIT
    MAKE A GREAT IMPRESSION WHEN YOU ARE SHORT ON TIME
    accountability coach app
    Accountability Coach to help you reach your goals each day
    THE FRANK STORYTELLING PROGRAM FOR DATING WORKBOOK BY FRANK KERMIT
    STORYTELLING IS A SOCIAL SKILL YOU CAN LEARN.
    HOW TO BUILD A SOCIAL CIRCLE NETWORK BY FRANK KERMIT
    A STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO BUILD AND MANAGE YOUR SOCIAL LIFE.
    THE ART OF CALIBRATION PROGRAM FROM CREEPY TO CHARISMA BY FRANK KERMIT
    LEARN THE SOCIAL CUES YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING
    DATING YOUNGER WOMEN A GUIDE FOR OLDER MEN BY FRANK KERMIT
    LISTEN HOW TO DATE A YOUNGER WOMEN AND BEAT OUT YOUR YOUNGER MALE COMPETITION!
    FROM FRIENDS TO LOVERS: STOP BEING HER EMOTIONAL COOKIE MAN BY FRANK KERMIT
    GET OUT OF THE FRIEND ZONE RIGHT NOW!
    HOW TO STEAL HER AWAY FROM A JERK BY FRANK KERMIT
    WHY IS SHE WITH A JERK? IS SHE WORTH THE EFFORT YOU WANT TO MAKE TO STEAL HER FROM HIM?
    FROM LOSER TO SEDUCER: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANK KERMIT BY FRANK KERMIT
    FROM ALONE AND CONFUSED TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIP & DATING EXPERT
    THE POWER OF CHOICE: HOW TO DATE MULTIPLE WOMEN HONESTLY
    HOW TO USE EMOTIONAL NEEDS ANALYSIS TO MAKE MULTIPLE WOMEN FEEL UNIQUE AND SPECIAL IN AN HONEST WAY
    HOW TO BE THE ETHICAL SEDUCER BY FRANK KERMIT
    LEARN THE ETHICS OF SEDUCTION FOR MEN AND WOMEN
    PIMPING YOUR PAD BY FRANK KERMIT
    FROM BORING BACHELOR PAD TO STYLISH AND SENSUAL. SIMPLE, EASY, STEPS TO TAKE TO TRANSFORM YOUR SPACE
    ALTERNATIVE RELATIONSHIP CHOICES NON-MONOGAMY BY FRANK KERMIT
    HOW TO HAVE ALTERNATIVE RELATIONSHIPS IN AN NON-ALTERNATIVE SOCIETY
    MAKING MONOGAMY WORK WHEN ONE IS ALL YOUR NEED BY FRANK KERMIT
    LEARN HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN A MONOGAMOUS RELATIONSHIP
    SEX, LIES AND CONFUSION.  FRANK ADVICE FOR REAL LIFE BY FRANK KERMIT
    100 QUESTIONS THAT OTHERS WERE AFRAID TO ANSWER.
    FrankTalks.com
    TODO LO QUE SALE DE SU BOCA ES UNA PRUEBA -EVERYTHING OUT OF HER MOUTH IS A TEST VERSION EN ESPAÑOL EBOOK
    FrankTalks.com
    JE SUIS UN HOMME. C'EST MON JOB.- I'M A MAN THAT'S MY JOB VERSION FRANÇAISE EBOOK
    Franktalks.com sponsor

    USB Charger image
    Charger
    PMC Media Logo
    PMC Media Production

    Dr. Laurie Betito Quotes
    Franks Romance Formula
    in her new book The Sex Bible For People Over 50.

    Sex Bible book cover
    Sex Bible for 50
    NEW! The Sex Bible For People Over 50: The Complete Guide To Sexual Love For Mature Couples
    Match Maker Logo
    High End Match Making
    leonard irwin headshot
    Leonard Irwin - Medium
    Event Planner logo
    Natalka Gach Lee
Frank Kermit of franktalks.com
FRANK KERMIT MA
EXPERT RELATIONSHIP COACH
​HELPING PEOPLE CONNECT

IN MONTREAL CALL FRANK
REST OF CANADA & USA CALL FRANK
franktalks.com logo

ALL COACHING IS BY TELEPHONE OR SKYPE ONLY

INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS  ARE WELCOME

*INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR LONG DISTANCE PHONE CHARGES, +1 Canada/USA*

SKYPE IS PREFERRED.
IT'S FREE AND EASY TO USE FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD


TELEPHONE: +1-514-680-3278

EMAIL: frank@franktalks.com
​

SKYPE: frank kermit
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES
  • Home
    • WHY HIRE FRANK?
    • QUIZ - Need Coaching?
  • COACHING SYSTEMS
    • BUY COACHING HERE
    • PER HOUR COACHING
    • DATING DEBRIEF
    • EMOTIONAL NEEDS SYSTEM
    • ADULT MALE VIRGINS SYSTEM
    • Single No More System
    • Couples Coaching System
    • Coping With Loss System
    • ACCOUNTABILITY COACHING
  • HEALTH
  • AUDIO
  • BOOKS
    • FRANÇAISE
    • ESPAÑOL
    • TADPOLE TALKS
    • AFFILIATES
    • OFF SITE AFFILIATES
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
    • GUEST SPEAKER, Celebrity & PEER REVIEW
    • MEDIA
    • THE BEST MEDIA APPEARANCE