Now that we are well into the New Year, you may be feeling a bit of denial in regard to the emotional loss of your loved one. It is important to know that this has the ability to delay the trauma that the loss has resulted in in your life and could, potentially, prove to prolong the pain, sadness, and anger that you may be currently experiencing. It is always important to acknowledge the loss of your loved one and to accept the fact that you will experience a variety of emotions as you continue to adjust to life without that special person no longer around. In this installment of our series, “Healthy Methods for Keeping the Memory of Your Loved One Alive During the New Year”, we will place a special emphasis on the importance of developing rituals.

Developing Rituals as a Coping Mechanism

Rituals are special types of customs, specific traditions, and/or activities that may involve more than one person that has some type of special meaning to those that elect to participate. If you are experiencing grief, rituals have the potential to be highly beneficial for you and those that are sharing in the grief. Rituals as a coping mechanism will actually aid in your pushing through the grief and adjusting to your loss in a positive and productive manner. The following outlines a few simple rituals that may be developed in the New Year in order to keep the memory of your loved one alive:

• One of the easiest and most common rituals that many perform in the beginning of the New Year to keep the memory of their loved ones alive is lighting a candle in their honor. This may be done alone, or, with others. It may be a solemn event, or, a celebration. It is entirely up to you!
• The New Year is a time of new beginnings. Most often, it is brought in with a celebration. If you would like to celebrate the life of your loved one, you should bring in the year with a party or similar type of celebration dedicated to that person.
• You may create a memorial where you live to remember your loved one. It may be indoors or outdoors, but, should be in a special location that is designated especially to honor your loved one. Each year, as the New Year rolls in, place something new on or around the memorial.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many creative ways that you may keep your loved one alive as the New Year rolls in each year. One of the best methods is to create rituals that focus, specifically, on the person that you have lost and/or your memories of that person. You may also engage in other activities, such as having a reunion, purchasing memorial jewelry, or, simply creating something artistic that relates to the loss of your loved one. If you would like more ideas on memorializing your loved one, click HERE.