The moment the calendar turns to November, the world begins its annual performance of relentless cheer. Lights twinkle, carols loop, and every commercial insists this is the most wonderful time of the year.
For anyone who has buried someone they love, the season often feels less like wonder and more like a slow-motion collision.
This episode is not for the people whose holidays still sparkle. It is for the ones who dread the empty chair at the table, who flinch at certain songs, who already know which relative will say the wrong thing and which bathroom door locks properly when the tears come without warning.
Here there is no pressure to “choose joy,” no demand to stuff the pain into a prettier box, no suggestion that strong faith should make the holidays feel magical again.
There is only permission to grieve out loud in the middle of a season that pretends grief doesn’t exist.
We sit together in the tension between the ache that is still very real and the resurrection that is still very sure.
Because the empty chair is loud right now—but it is not eternal.
If the thought of Thanksgiving and Christmas feels overwhelming this year, pull up a seat. You’re not broken, you’re not behind, and you’re not alone.
#grief #holidays #rawfaith #christianpodcast #loss #hardytalks
[00:00] When Holidays Amplify Loss and Grief
[01:54] Navigating Personal Grief Amidst Holiday Expectations
[05:15] Job, David, Jesus: Biblical Examples of Grief
[17:02] Understanding Grief: Brain, Body, and God's Design
[26:19] Practical Strategies for Navigating Holiday Grief
[28:31] The Empty Chair is Loud, But Not Eternal
