Program helps people cope with loss during the holidays

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By Steven Martens | Wednesday, November 15, 2006 1:08 AM CST | () comments

CLINTON, Iowa — The holiday season is steeped in memories and traditions, family get-togethers and expectations of good cheer. It also is a busy time, with decorating and shopping to be done.

All of those factors can make the holiday season difficult on people who recently have lost a loved one, says Eve Palm, bereavement coordinator for Mercy Hospice in Clinton.

Palm will host a series of programs entitled, “Holidays Without Them,” designed to help people cope with the feelings of mourning a loved one during the holiday season.

“The holidays can be kind of a hard time for people who have lost a loved one, and this program is designed to kind of help people get through the holidays,” said Julie Dunn, a spokeswoman for Mercy Medical Center.

Sessions will be held Thursday from 10-11 a.m. in the Four Season Sun Room at Morrison Community Hospital, 303 N. Jackson St., Morrison, Ill., and 1-2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 2100 Chicago Ave., Savanna, Ill.

Sessions also will be held Saturday from 10-11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 400 5th Ave. S., Clinton, and 1-2 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, 415 10th St., DeWitt.

Palm said the holidays can be especially difficult for people who are going through their first holiday season after the loss of a loved one. She said people are faced with holiday traditions that have been altered by the loss of a family member and the memories of past holidays spent together.

Palm said some people still mourning the death of a loved one feel pressure to be happy during the holidays when they are not, or feel that being happy and enjoying the holidays may be inappropriate.

Palm said it is important for people grieving during the holidays to understand that everyone grieves differently.

Steven Martens can be contacted at (563) 659-2595 or smartens@qctimes.com.