Originally published at Orange County Catholic
One of my favorite traditions each year is trimming the Christmas tree with the same decorations our family has used since long before I was born. Every ornament uniquely captures a moment of time in our collective history- porcelain baby booty denoting a baby’s first Christmas, a popsicle stick paste and glitter conglomeration of a wee one’s early ingenuity, and those retro bread dough concoctions made by my parents when they were dating back in the 1970s. These simple treasures are always a reminder to me of the gift of presence each person and moment they represent has been in my life. And something particularly dear to me now as a ritual of remembrance, since so many of those I shared these memories with are no longer with us.
Navigating the holidays with heartache, loss, and grief can be a particularly challenging and difficult time of year. Some say the first year without someone you love is the hardest while others claim the second year is when the death really sinks in during what is typically joyful and celebratory times for the rest of world around us. It can be disorienting to even see things continuing as “normal” while our
