Celebrating Thanksgiving When Your Heart is Broken

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Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. In spite of the Black Friday craziness, in spite of stores being open on Thursday (seriously?!?), it has managed to mostly stay true to itself, our yearly reminder of the importance of giving thanks, whatever our situation.

This time five years ago, though, giving thanks was the last thing on my mind. One week before, I had chosen to have a D&C to complete the miscarriage I had begun three weeks earlier. Our baby had no heartbeat — that had been confirmed twice by ultrasound. But my body was as reluctant to let go of her as my heart was, and with the holidays approaching, we felt this was the best choice. That way, by the time Thanksgiving came, we figured, I would be well on the road to recovery.

I was, physically. But my heart was shattered, again. This was our second loss in eight months. This baby, who we named Kyria, was supposed to be the rainbow baby who would bring hope back into our lives after our daughter Naomi had died in my second trimester. But our rainbow had faded, and the chairs around the Thanksgiving table mocked me, reminding me of the children who should have filled them in the future … but wouldn’t.

I survived that Thanksgiving, but that is all. And you know what? That was good enough.

Are you facing this, too, this year? Maybe this is your first Thanksgiving without a loved one, whether a parent or a grandparent or a child or a spouse. You may be trying to figure out how to still make it special for your kids, or you may be dreading it all together. Whatever your situation, here are some ideas for how to deal with Thanksgiving when your world has fallen apart.

Do an inventory

Not of your pantry, but of your heart and your annual traditions. Holidays are hard when you are grieving, for a lot of reasons: the traditions we keep, the people we see, the meanings behind the day. Go through Thanksgiving Day, or the whole weekend, in your mind. Write down what normally happens and who you will see. What will be comforting about it? What will be hard? What will the grief triggers be? What are your children most excited about?

Be easy on yourself

Failed expectations are the cause of so much stress at the holidays, and we can put them on ourselves more than anyone else can. Whatever your “normal” routine is, this year will be different. Even if you do everything the same way, your loved one will be missing. But you don’t have to do it the same way. Go back to your inventory and think about the triggers. Will you be able to handle being around your very pregnant cousin? Or the new baby? Or the newlyweds? Will making the same desserts as always bring you comfort, or will it be painful in the wake of missing your grandmother? Give yourself permission to do things differently if you need to, without the fear that you will be disappointing someone if you do.

Create an escape route

If you are in a large family gathering, find a place where you can get away for a few minutes if you need to, whether that is a guest room or the back porch. If you don’t want to join in on the traditional Black Friday family shopping trip, or watch the Macy’s parade together, it’s okay to make other plans and even start new traditions.

Do something special in memory of your loved one

Make your grandmother’s special pie. Wear a piece of jewelry in memory of your child. Make a list of all the ways your dad blessed your life. Have everyone share a special memory. Include your loved one in the celebration.

Consider the history of Thanksgiving

Much of the history surrounding the Thanksgiving celebration of 1621 has been romanticized. One thing that we know, though, is that not a single person there was a stranger to grief. Of the 102 people on the Mayflower, less than half lived through the first winter, and more than half of those survivors were children. Only four adult women had survived, and one of them was now a widow. Nearly every family had lost someone dear. And the Wampanoag tribe that joined them for their feast had also been touched by the tragedy of disease. It was a group that had undergone much suffering — they had come through it and had been changed by it. And yet … they gave thanks.

Choose one thing to thank God for.

Of course, you can be thankful for more than that. But if Thanksgiving feels like a punch in the gut this year, just pick one. Not because you have to, not because you need to get over your grief, but because in the end, focusing on the good in our lives brings us healing and peace.

This Thanksgiving, I will shed tears, I know. I will wear my memorial necklace and think about the brave survivors of 1621. As I look at the chairs around the table, I will think of many loved ones awaiting us in Heaven, especially the children I carried for such a brief time. And I will thank God for their lives and how He used them to change mine.

What will you do?

Are you struggling with loss this Thanksgiving? Share your story in the comments.

 
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Kristi Bothur
Kristi is a pastor’s wife, mother, writer, and former public school teacher for English for Speakers of Other Languages. She grew up all over the United States as an Air Force brat, but moved to Columbia in the 1990s to attend Columbia International University, and has called the Midlands “home” ever since. Her days are kept full with the antics and activities of her children - homeschooling, church activities, American Heritage Girls, and Trail Life - as well as writing and leading her Columbia-based pregnancy loss ministry, Naomi’s Circle. Kristi is a contributing editor for “Rainbows and Redemption: Encouragement for the Journey of Pregnancy After Loss” (www.rainbowsandredemption.weebly.com) and a co-author of “Sunshine After the Storm: A Survival Guide for the Grieving Mother“ (sunshineafterstorm.us). She shares her thoughts about faith, family, and femininity on her blog, This Side of Heaven (www.thissideofheavenblog.com).

10 COMMENTS

  1. This is my first holiday season. Octavian should be 5 months old, yet it has been 10 months since he grew wings. Thank you for your article… has giving me lots to think about… of how to do certain traditions… and how to include him in it.. how to do things the same yet it will still be different…thank you ro sharing

  2. Kristi,
    I am really struggling with the holidays this year. It will be the first without my mother. Your words and willingness to share your story will help! Many thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!

    • Lori, I am so sorry for the loss of your mother. I hope you experienced some measure of comfort and peace on Thanksgiving Day and that you are able to find it in the Christmas season, too.

  3. Thank you so much for this. My mom passed away three years ago and dad remarried last June. We found out we were pregnant last Christmas but lost our baby girl on March 13 after carrying her for 18 weeks. Excited again when positive pregnancy test came again in July, but devestated once more when we lost our second baby girl on October 10 after 14 weeks in my womb. People have been wishing me a happy Thanksgiving today, but it’s not been very “happy.” I know I am blessed but I’m still broken. It was nice to hear I’m not the only one whose goal is to “survive” the Holidays. Continuing to trust the Lord through my brokenness.

  4. This is my first thanksgiving without my little boy he was 19 when he passed. I miss him more each day and I have a lot of regrets it’s hard to go on in life. I just want my baby boy back!!!

  5. Having a hard time my son didd six months ago it has been extfemely hard he left 2small children when I keep them over for a visit it breaks my heArt knowing the pain Ifeel has to be there times as hard for them .we are celebrating thanksgiving Sunday and i know it’s going to be so hard on all of us

  6. My mom passed away in April so Thanksgiving will be my first holiday without her, she lived with me and my husband so she was very involved in our lives, now I’m faced with preparing the meal without her and I am overcome with the feeling of loss and emptiness and to make matters worse we are preparing to move out of the home we shared over 40 years, i honestly don’t know how to cope with it all.

    • Maria, I am so sorry for your loss. I truly believe that losses are especially pronounced this year with all that is happening in our society. Be gentle with yourself. This holiday will not be the same, but you will get through it. I am praying for you.

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