Today we are in Minnesota, where we will bury my mom. It has been a long month, full of tears. I think we are all relieved that this month has finally come to an end. It’s hard to believe that we will not have Mom with us this Christmas.
We are going to gather together as a family to celebrate Christmas. Dad has already said he’s not going to fall apart; he’s going to put up a tree, decorate the house with lights, and celebrate like Mom was here.
It will be Ed’s first Christmas without his mother, too. She passed away last February.
Both our moms would want us to find joy this Christmas. As we gather together again as a family, I think we will.
The first holidays after your loved one passes away are to difficult. I am praying for your comfort and strength. I am always thinking about you, please know that I care. I grew up in Illinois and so did my husband. His father would take him and his sister to Minnesota fishing all the time. We actually went to Ore, MN and put his ashes in Pelican Lake. We plan a trip there again next year. It was about 8 years ago when his Dad passed. My Mom's been gone 27 years and the holidays are always hard. ((HUGS))
Thinking of you & sending more hugs
The first Christmas without Dad was not easy. We got a real tree (he insisted on plastic in his later years, less messy :), and put lights on it, but that was about all we did.Stringing up the lights was amusing – each string was neatly put away as it was Dad's job, and as he loathed throwing things away I kept finding strings labeled "Broken." Very typical Dad maneuver. Hello Dad, throw them away!