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Getting Through the Dark Days of Winter Photo Credit: Ana Gambuto I am terrible at sending greeting
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Getting Through the Dark Days of Winter [Parents]( Photo Credit: Ana Gambuto
I am terrible at sending greeting cards. Rather than work on this flaw, I have decided to own it. So, if youâre reading this and know me personally, [expect birthday wishes via text]( until further notice. I promise to throw in a few emojis. Having said that, I do plan to send a card to a friend who lives on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in a few weeks. I even set up various alerts on my phone as reminders. Not that I would forget. As soon as she told me the exact date of her motherâs death last year, I made a mental note of it. I know from personal experience that the first anniversary of a parentâs passing isnât a day you celebrate, but one you get through knowing that itâs been 365 days since theyâve been gone. Thatâs a full year of everyone else going about their lives while a big gaping hole sits in the middle of yours. For me, itâs been six years since I lost my mom. She left our world a day before my oldest daughter, Eva, turned 5. We had planned to throw a Minnie Mouseâthemed birthday party with homemade cupcakes, red and black polka-dot balloons, and a number 5 piñata. [I considered canceling]( but all our little guests had rsvp'd and Eva, still [too young to fully understand grief,]( was excited. In the end, we went through with it because thatâs what my mom wouldâve wanted. Although those were the longest two hours ever, it showed me that I would eventually find a way to exist without my mom because I needed to for my kids. They would prop me up and give me strength to keep going. I realize the [first few months of the year]( can be heavy for many of us for a variety of reasons, so I hope youâre taking care of yourself as you put one foot in front of the other. If you can grab on to a small hand to get you there, so much the better. Be well,
Grace
grace.bastidas@parents.com
@brooklynwriter [How to Explain Death to Kids]( [READ MORE]( [Help Your Partner Understand How You're Feeling]( [READ MORE](
[Does Your Teen Need A Mental Health Break?]( [READ MORE]( [Discuss Big Emotions With Little Kids]( [READ MORE](
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