The holidays can be a stressful time for most of us. People who have lost special people from their lives can find it even harder right now.
I was watching an episode of Scorpion, and part of it dealt with one character's grief. I ended up crying and thinking way too much about my late sister Kim and other people we miss all the time.
The holidays, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's Eve, or any other special occasion can just make us wish so, so much for our loved ones to be here with us. The pain can be pretty unbearable, at times.
We can do things in their memory, such as blogging, writing in a journal, or just thinking about them for a while. Also, try to be of comfort to others who are grieving, whether they are grieving for the same people that we are or not.
The only other things I know of to do are keep busy, help those in need, think of making things good for children, and just appreciate the present moment and the people we have here.
It's easy to get stressed out by so many little things during the holidays, but the other day I was thinking about how I wish our Aunt Dee Dee was here to annoy me in little ways like she used to (chomping gum loudly or singing along to Christmas music in the back of the car when we drove around looking at Christmas decorations). I mean, how silly to get annoyed by such ridiculous things, when later you would just wish that the person was back with you again.
So, just try to cherish the people you love, and enjoy them and all their little faults (since we all have them - I know that I have many myself). Try to relax and breathe, stay in the moment as much as you can, and find all the little good things to enjoy during this season.