Nine Ways a Child Can Be Remembered During the Holidays
OAK BROOK, Ill., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- With the holidays upon us, families that have suffered the tragic loss of a child are often trying to figure out not only how to survive the holidays, but how they can also remember and honor the life of that child.
Patricia Loder, a twice-bereaved parent and executive director of The Compassionate Friends, a national self-help bereavement organization for families going through the natural grieving process after the death of a child, says there are many ways others can help the grieving family to remember that child during the holidays.
- Write down memories -- especially funny stories -- of the child to give the family. Try to get others who knew the child to write a story and then make a scrapbook for the family that can be added to in the future.
- Encourage the family to talk about the child, while understanding that some tears may fall -- a tribute to the child who died.
- Share photos or videos of the child with the family that they may not have seen before.
- "Adopt a child" for the holidays by giving gifts in remembrance of the child who died. Notify the family.
- If you send a card, make certain to mention that you're thinking of the child (by name), even if it's been many years since the child died.
- Give the family an ornament that in some way will remind the family of the child.
- Give the family time and space so they can handle the holidays in a manner that works for them. Be understanding.
- Invite the family to participate in The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting the second Sunday in December, whether by attending a service or lighting a candle for an hour at home.
- Make a donation to a favorite charity in honor of the child.
Adds Mrs. Loder, "As one of our members said, 'We still look the same on the outside, but inside, we have changed. A broken heart cannot be seen with the naked eye.'"
The Compassionate Friends has nearly 625 chapters in the United States offering support to bereaved families during this difficult time of the year and all year long. The organization, in conjunction with other groups globally, sponsors a Worldwide Candle Lighting the second Sunday in December with hundreds of services open to the public. Visit TCF's national website for a list of what will total more than 500 services submitted from around the world that are open to the public
To learn more about The Compassionate Friends and its many programs for bereaved families after the death of a child, call toll-free 877-969-0010 or visit them on the Web at http://www.compassionatefriends.org. Also on Facebook at The Compassionate Friends/USA.
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SOURCE The Compassionate Friends
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