Thursday's Therapy - Rekindling Friendships: Grief Amidst the Holidays

Thursday's Therapy

Rekindling Friendships:

Grief Amidst the Holidays

~Tommy and Angie Prince

Taking a break from our TRAUMA Therapy Toolbox posts, we want to address some issues around the holiday, and what was for us this week, a therapeutic way to "celebrate" this Christmas season.

This will be our 5th Christmas holiday in our 4 1/4 years of grief over losing our precious 19-year-old and only daughter. For the FIRST time in the 5 Christmas seasons, we were able to go to a get-together with our close friends last night. It was extremely casual, low-pressure, and graciously open-ended as to whether we would be there or not. These friends are extremely authentic people; there is no pretense about them at all. Some of us were dressed up for the holiday. Some were not. And that was okay.

The conversation was real just like the friendships are real. Several we had not seen in awhile. A few we see fairly often. All have a great sense of humor, so we were laughing at one another's foibles and tell-tell stories we all told on ourselves. Somehow, we were able to tell "kid"-stories without either Tommy or I getting triggered. We even had some time to share grief stories of new losses in the group of which I had been totally in the dark. So, there were hugs and condolences, and stories of what our friends have been going through in regard to their losses.

There was a love and acceptance of us with no need of direct acknowledgement of our deep pain because these friends KNOW and their actions were more than enough to show their deep love. Many of these friends have been faithful over these years to show us their love in oh-so-many-tangible ways, and it has been incredibly touching.

Last night was a great reminder of life's gifts by which we're surrounded.

And now, even closer bonds are formed "through-the-fire," serving as reminders of God's "Treasures of Darkness" in our lives.

*****

(A)nd I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.

~Isaiah 45:3 ASV

http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/fireplace.html

ASV: American Standard Version of God's Holy Word from http://biblos.com/