Books by Judy Strong

It’s Thanksgiving, the day to gather with family, friends, or quietly be alone to remember the good things in life. It’s hard to give thanks when there’s loss all around us, but the support of friends and the comfort of simplicity is something to celebrate.

Have a wonderful day.

Judy

The Holiday Season is truly upon us. Talk of plans are everywhere, concerts, decorating, baking, and seeing friends and family. But all is not cheery for those who are in mourning.

A loss is difficult to bear for a very long time. When special days (birthdays, anniversaries) come along, or the Holiday rush is in full swing, grieving people have an especially difficult time celebrating.

Being sad when all around you are filled with joy makes life difficult, for both the griever and their close friends. What to say? What to do? How to help ease the pain?

I wrote an article a couple years ago that still gets clicks this time of year. Please check it out for yourself or someone you know who is missing a loved one. The link is: http://article-niche.com/launch/Holiday-Grievers-Gifts-For-A-Friend.htm. It’s on article-niche and titled Holiday Grievers Gifts For A Friend.

Celebrating the holidays is a good time to connect with friends and family and begin to heal. The anticipation of painful memories can be managed, and the joy of the season can lift you up. Start your planning now and have a wonderful holiday season.

Judy

Summer blazed out of Arizona in a day, and brisk autumn was upon us the next. The cold, crisp air is refreshing to me, a native midwesterner, but I prefer to have the seasons merge more slowly, so I can get used to different temperatures.

With autumn comes the Season of  Holidays, celebrations of a wide variety, and all having their respective traditions, from costumes and candy to the spiritual traditions from different faiths.

A common tradition of most holidays is gift giving. In the purest sense, this is a sincere offering to someone important in your life, as a gesture of love and friendship. As we all know, however, the giving of gifts can become a mad rush to buy things for everyone and anyone, often the only real expression of the keeping of the holiday.

The difficult economic problems may actually have a positive influence this holiday season. Handmade gifts, or better yet, the gift of yourself in time spent with or for another can be a blessing, and may even become a tradition. The possibilities are endless for helping someone, and exchanging gifts of helpfulness can start or deepen a friendship.

The origin of most gift giving traditions for celebrating a holiday was about simplicity and goodwill. Our whole country needs large doses of goodwill right now. Let’s all make this the most joyous Season of Holidays ever.

Judy