Finding Your Own Language For Loss: Grief In The Holidays
Dec 1, 2020
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Tracy K. Smith, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate, reflects on navigating grief during the holiday season. She shares personal stories about adapting traditions while honoring lost loved ones. The conversation emphasizes the bittersweet nature of holiday rituals and the importance of self-care. Listeners are encouraged to embrace their pain and find creative ways to connect with family amidst sorrow. Smith's insights beautifully illustrate the complexities of remembrance and resilience during this poignant time.
Create personal rituals to honor lost loved ones during holidays.
Acknowledge ongoing pain and embrace self-compassion in navigating grief.
Deep dives
Coping with Grief During the Holidays
During the holiday season, the episode explores how individuals navigate grief and loss, especially intensified during the pandemic. Various guests share personal experiences of honoring loved ones, maintaining traditions, and creating new rituals to cope with the absence of family members. The significance of small gestures, like baking a deceased family member's favorite cake, burning incense, or sharing memories, is emphasized as meaningful ways to keep connections alive.
Finding Meaning in Grief
The discussion delves into the evolving nature of grief, highlighting the importance of acknowledging ongoing pain and accepting that loss is a continuous presence in life. Guests stress the value of creating personal rituals and practices to commemorate lost loved ones, such as wishmaking exercises and sharing stories to celebrate cherished memories. The episode encourages individuals to approach grief with self-compassion and care, recognizing the individuality of each person's journey through loss.
Rebuilding Traditions and Connecting with Family
Listeners share touching stories of rebuilding traditions and fostering connections amidst grief, illustrating the power of inclusion, reminiscence, and gratitude. Through shared experiences, such as preserving family history, digitizing old photos, and adapting holiday celebrations to virtual platforms, families find solace in unity and shared memories. The episode concludes with a reminder of the importance of simplicity, self-care, and reaching out for support during times of loss and change.
As we inch toward the holidays, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tracy K. Smith shares how she's processing grief, a subject at the center of much of her work.