Dusk to Dawn Bereavement Services to offer Longest Night Service
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you be of good cheer,
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
It’s the hap-happiest season of all!
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call,
It’s the hap-happiest season of all!
… And so the song goes … But is it? Is it really all that wonderful and happy? For many, heartache very often haunts the holidays. While the rest of the world joins in a frenzy of festive activity, those of us who are grieving just want to scream for it all to stop, because for us it may feel as if all our joy and hope have been stolen. For those suffering through loss and grief, the holidays may feel more like a season of great loneliness, darkness, shadows, hopelessness, and despair.
In the midst of grief, it is very normal to be saddened during the holidays because our loved one is no longer present to share in those happy events with us. As we reflect on memories of our Christmases past and engage in our family traditions around the holidays, their absence can seem even more pronounced. We struggle to navigate the holiday season when we are grieving.
We do not have to suffer alone in this bitter season. Our holidays need not be without joy or hope. To reconnect and experience the joy of the season, we must look deep within ourselves. Dusk to Dawn Bereavement Services is offering an opportunity designed to do just that. On the winter solstice at 7 p.m. Dec. 21 we will be hosting an ecumenical Longest Night Service at Christ Lutheran Church, 300 W. South Blvd.
This is a service of candle lighting, quiet reflection, and remembrance to shed light into the darkness you may be experiencing and help heal broken hearts and lives. Amid a season where smiles and laughter are the expectation, all are welcome to come, rest, and be your genuine self with all your tears and heartache.
Cheryl Fuhrmann is founder and grief counselor with Dusk-to-Dawn Bereavement Service, a local nonprofit organization providing free access to grief counseling for individuals struggling through loss. To learn more, donate, or make an appointment, contact us at, 765-267-1760, info@dusk-to-dawn.org, or www.dusk-to-dawn.org. You can also find us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
