I post these every year, I've edited the list this year with social distancing in mind. Although our activities are limited, it's important to not be too isolated. Phone, text, zoom, Facebook, and get lots of fresh air and exercise. Consider the following ideas for Valentines Day too as you journey through grief. ❤ ferree
Do you think you'll want to mark Valentine's Day this year? You might be able to transform it by thinking ahead and planning to do something different. Of course if you want to pretend the day doesn't exist and not acknowledge it at all, that's okay too. I often find the people deal with sorrow in two different ways:
- remember/memorialize it
- or choose to leave it alone. It's in the past, its been dealt with, and its time for the next chapter.
If you'd like to memorialize the day or give yourself something to look forward to, here are a variety of things that might be meaningful for you:
- Visit the cemetery and leave a message of candy conversation hearts to melt into the snow
- Tie a home-made Valentine to a helium balloon and let it fly away to heaven
- Collect old Valentines and love letters and put them together in a decorative memory box keepsake.
- Create a collage of photos and frame it to hang on a wall or stand on your dresser.
- Buy a package or two of school Valentine cards. Send them to your own children, nieces & nephews or other family members. Write a little love note on them.
- Take a miniature rose, a grocery store bouquet, or box of chocolates to your doctor's office/nursing staff, husband's co-workers, neighbors, pharmacy, your pastor or church staff or anyone who's been especially helpful over the past year. Or send a hand-written note or a signed all-occasion card to say "thank you." It will be greatly appreciated and will help them keep going!
- If your Bible has a Concordance at the back of it, look up the word "love" and read all the references to it in the Psalms. Write down your top three favorite ones as God's special "Valentines" to you today.
I've been doing something to remember him, and that which provides comfort in my grief as I honor him... I've been writing out appropriate valentines to many of his family, including numerous cousins, and including to each a copy of an old photo of all the cousins together at a reunion. Letting all these family members know how much he appreciated them & loved this family, and I'm honored to be a part of this extended family now. This has provided me with healing even as it brought healing tears through this grief.
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful idea! I love that you are including a photo in each valentine and a note that ties it all together. The tears will be very healing. God bless you through this greatly!
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