Holding Space This Christmas
Hello,
We are less than five days away from Christmas. This Christmas looks different for our family. Loss has a way of rearranging traditions, expectations, and even joy. Instead of forcing cheer, I’m learning to let this season be softer, slower, and more honest.
This year, I want to respectfully honor those we lost this past November by leaning into what matters most—loving my children and holding them a little closer. They didn’t get the chance to hold their granddaughter, but she is held deeply in our hearts and in the quiet moments we make together this season.
Holding Space for Our Children
As a parent, it’s natural to want to protect your children from hard truths. But there is also value in showing them that love continues, even through loss. This season, I’m focusing on creating a sense of safety, warmth, and togetherness—simple things that children remember long after the decorations are put away.
My daughter had the chance to meet her paternal grandfather, Henry, before his passing in November, and while she may not remember it herself, it is something we will always look back on fondly.
My hope in sharing this is not to bring the mood down, but to encourage you to pause and appreciate those around you—especially during a season that often asks us to move too fast.
Holding space for our children also means remembering where they come from.
Honoring Those Who Came Before Us
Henry and Gloria both passed at 78 years old, leaving behind a legacy shaped by perseverance, sacrifice, and deep love for their family. Henry was a second-generation military veteran who served during the Vietnam War. Even when times were hard, they carried themselves with quiet strength and deep love. Together, they built a life in the home they purchased with the GI Bill—a place that remained theirs until the end.
Like many families, they carried the weight of generational trauma and financial hardship, but those struggles never defined the love they had for their children and grandchildren. They were immensely proud of their family and the life they built, despite the obstacles they faced.
They raised Chris, my boyfriend, into the man he is today, and because of that, their legacy continues through him—and through our daughter, Magnolia. Holding space for our children also means honoring the people who shaped us, remembering the sacrifices that came before them, and carrying forward the love that remains.
This season, gratitude and remembrance walk hand in hand.
