Suzi - Grief at Christmas

I wanted to share something I posted on the Facebook page this morning. If anyone wants to talk about how they’re coping with grief this Christmas time, this community is a good place to start.

“We usually write something about coping with grief at Christmas, every year. This year, though, its particularly difficult to do after losing our wonderful Suzi last Spring. I’ll admit, I’m struggling and in tears writing this. Suzi, like me, loved making a fuss over Christmas. And I will always treasure the crocheted brussel sprout she made me (the only brussel sprout that enters my house, ever) 😋. It felt right to have an ornament that would go on my tree every year to remember Suzi - not that I will ever forget her. I am trying very hard to focus on the joy and purpose she brought into my life, and not on the huge hole that she left. Part of that will come through talking about her with others that knew and loved her - my fellow members on the forum (www.dealingwithdepression.co.uk) - about what she meant to us. It’s so important not to internalise grief, assuming others ‘don’t want to know’. There will be people who do want to know, and may be experiencing similar feelings. There will certainly be people who love you and want to help in any way they can.

Cruse Bereavement Support write that it’s important to, “Find ways to remember them - This can be as simple as ‘speaking’ to the person, silently or out loud, visiting their grave, or a place that was special to them. These things can be done alone or with friends or family. You may have photos or memories which you can share to bring you together.” (https://www.cruse.org.uk/understandi...ief/christmas/)

If you are grieving and need support in the UK, you can call the Cruse Helpline on 0808 808 1677. Worldwide, contact Befrienders to find your local support https://befrienders.org/members. Or join us over on the forum, knowing that this year, especially, all of us understand. Paula“

https://i.ibb.co/vZHrhsC/IMG-1673.jpg

I think I'm going to steal this idea and I've seen just the bauble!

Not a day goes by when I don’t think about Suzi. I know you all think of me as a horrible person who let her down but she meant so much to me. You all do. I’ve experienced a lot of lose throughout my life but Suzi had such a huge impact on my life and her being a friend changed my life massively. I hate that she is no longer with us. If I could trade places I would in an instant because she had so much more to give to the world. It’s not fair that I’m still here and she’s not.

I still can't believe Suzi has gone and thinking about "Sprout the Sprout" always makes me smile, Suzi made such an impact for the good to peoples lives.

Even though my mum passed away almost 4 years ago, this Christmas is already the hardest one yet. I never mourned my mum, I felt at the time that I had to be strong for others. But I've been watching Christmas movies and I've shed more tears over them than ever. This is the first time in so long that the tears have fallen.

Maybe it's Suzi's passing that's shown me that it's okay to feel sadness. And not a day goes by that I don't say to myself - what would Suzi say?

Suzi would say it’s ok to cry, but it’s also ok to move on. She would hate for any of us to be stuck because she died