It’s that most wonderful time of the year, but not for everybody. Expectations of joy and merriment only make things worse for those grieving loved ones who have died in the past year. On last Sunday afternoon as the rain poured outside, the speaker quipped “at least the weather understands how we feel.” This was during Staab Funeral Home’s annual Service of Remembrance at Holiday Time, an event held to give families tools to cope with their loss, “to transform grief into love and remembrance.” Other funeral homes hold similar events. “Share your story,” is one common piece of advice, which connects with the annual Illinois Times special issue, “Remembering the lives they lived,” to be published Dec. 27 (deadline Dec. 14). Readers are invited to share stories of those they loved and lost this year. Details are on page 14. –Fletcher Farrar, editor and CEO
This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2018.
