2023 here we come!
New Years Resolutions will soon fill your social media feeds. Your friends conversations.
New Year! New You!
Pressure to be thinner.
Smarter.
Eat better.
Read more.
Complain less.
You will be encouraged to leave 2022 behind.
Those of you living in heavy grief don’t get to leave what happened in 2022 behind.
This will always be the year you lost your person.
That pain, that reminder doesn’t stay in 2022. You will always carry the pain of this year.
So, how do we run head first into 2023 when we are grieving?
There’s barely energy to tackle day to day tasks much less make a resolution or (gasp) look forward to a new year.
All that means for us is another year without them.
A year of firsts.
Your first New Year without them.
We wrote a blog last month about holiday preparation and a lot of that is still applicable to the New Year. If you get a chance, go back and read it here.
What if you chose to look at your grief differently in 2023?
I’m not talking about “moving on” you’ll never hear me say anything like, “They’re in a better place now.”
While that might be true, it’s not helpful when you can barely catch your breath. It will just create anger and resentment and that’s the last thing you need more of right now.
What if this year you turned toward your grief instead of away?
What if you talked about your person a little more?
What if you started a grief journal?
Picked up a guitar and wrote a love song for them?
Planted a tree for them?
Openly mourned them?
What if you chose community over isolation?
It’s not easy but there’s no part of grief that’s easy but you already know that.
If you want that type of New Year, the one that helps integrate your grief instead of asking you to walk away we are here to help.
What if we chose to grieve better?
For our families.
For the generations after us.
What if you chose to be a part of something that validates you instead of isolates you?
Choose healing
Choose integration
Choose hope
If that sounds like your new year let us know. We would love to partner with you in any way you will allow us.
New year.
New grief.
-The Retreat Bereavement Team
