Grieving at Christmas
How to Cope With Death During the Holiday Season
Nine year Jordan Hayes was killed in a holiday tragedy: a Christmas Parade float ran over him in Florida. If you're dealing with death at Christmas, here's ways to cope.
Jordan Hayes was participating in the annual Plant City Christmas Parade float in Florida when his foot got caught in a wheel and he was dragged under the truck. He was run over twice, and died. His cousin Jerry Bridges, who was driving the truck, performed CPR but couldn’t save him.
Jordan Hayes was 9 years old. He was handing out candy and beads to people watching the parade; he was walking beside the Greater Heights Family Worship Center’s float.
Death at any time is sad and difficult to understand. When someone dies at Christmas, especially a young boy in a Christmas parade, it’s a terrible tragedy. Holiday grief can seem unbearable.
If you’re dealing with death this Christmas, these suggestions for surviving a holiday tragedy may help.
Grieving at Christmas
Spend your time with people who restore your spirits. Grieving at Christmas in a healthy way involves choosing who you most want to be with. Don’t spend time with people who create negative feelings or drain your energy. When someone dies at Christmas, let go of your “should’s” and other people’s expectations.
Give yourself permission to do less. When someone dies at Christmas, the last thing you need to worry about is sending cards or baking your traditional gingerbread cookies. Grieving at Christmas is about giving yourself more down time – and just doing things that are really important.
Accept help. When someone dies at Christmas, friends and family may not know what to do or say. Accept their help at Christmas, whether it’s cleaning your bathrooms or cooking Christmas dinner at their place instead of yours. Grieving at Christmas involves letting others show their love and grief in different ways.
Volunteer. Consider spending your Christmas at a camp for adults with disabilities. Easter Seals Camp Horizon, for instance, needs volunteers every year. Grieving at Christmas may be easier if you focus on helping others.
Let yourself grieve in your own way. Some of us grieve at Christmas by keeping extremely busy, so we have less time to think. Others grieve at Christmas by withdrawing or even leaving the city or country. Whatever your grief process is, accept it. Your heart and soul will tell you what you need to do when someone dies at Christmas. Follow your instincts.
If you found this article about grieving at Christmas helpful, you might want to read:
- How to End Holiday Anxiety
- 10 Ways to Reduce Children's Stress at Christmas
- 10 Ways to Simplify Christmas
