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55. Navigating Grief During the Holidays, with Lois Ann Murray

While the holidays are meant to be a joyous time of celebration, for many it's a time when grief gets amplified and sadness clouds our enjoyment of the season. Perhaps your family is dealing with the loss of a loved one this Christmas. Maybe you've moved or been laid off work or someone you care about is sick. Whatever the source of your grief, it's important to walk out your journey well this holiday season -- both for yourself and for your family.

Joining us in this episode is Lois Ann Murray, a certified grief recovery educator, who helps us better understand the nature of grief and shares her P-E-A-C-E method for navigating grief during the holidays. She also explains signs to be on the lookout for in your kids that indicate they may be grieving as well as practical ways to honor their feelings while helping them hold their hurt in balance with the joys of the season. Grief is a normal human emotion that shouldn't be suppressed for the sake of "being strong" during the holidays. Indeed, it's our job as fathers to model for our kids how to walk through hard times gracefully. The insights Lois Ann shares in this episode will help us do just that.


Resources

Lois Ann's certification is through the Grief Recovery Institute which offers evidence-based programs to heal the emotional pain of loss. You can learn more about their programs and resources at https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/.

You can connect with Lois Ann through her Learn to Laugh Again social pages on Facebook and Instagram via @learntolaughagain.

The following is a list of books that she recommends for additional study and support.

  1. Journeying Through Grief (4-Book Series), by Stephen Ministries

  2. The Grief Recovery Handbook, by John W. James and Russel Friedman, Founders of The Grief Recovery Institute

  3. When Children Grieve, by John W. James and Russel Friedman with Dr. Leslie Landon Matthews

  4. Water Bugs & Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children, by Doris Stickney
  5. The Invisible String, by Patrice Karst
  6. The Memory Book: A Grief Journal for Children and Families, by Joanna Rowland

A note from Lois Ann: There are many other good books published. The main purpose of using a book with children is to facilitate and encourage conversation with your child about the loss they have experienced.


A Dose of Motivation

“Be the things you loved most about the people who are gone.” — Anonymous


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Music in this episode is from "Good Ol' Man" (©2022) by Drew Green and reproduced with permission from Drew Green.