On Thursday December 14th, We had just a bit different sort of first hour. 

Before our meeting, Don had written down four different “ Holiday Situations “ 

At this meeting, we also had four different guest teddy bears in attendance, each of whom were holding the different Holiday situations. 

These different situations were all situations that you might encounter during the upcoming Holiday season. Don shared with us that he himself had encountered each of these four situations during the Holidays. One notable difference tonight was that these different situations were seen through the eyes of the teddy bear, who was also a resident of the home.

I facilitated one of these breakout groups.  The person in our make believe  situation had the name of Tina.  Tina’s father had just passed away the previous Christmas Eve and Tina was still processing this loss. Christmas had lost the magic it once had when her father was still around.  What would normally be a highlight of Tina’s year, was now nothing more than a painful memory. 

Tina’s teddy bear reached out and asked, what can be done to help Tina return her Holidays to the happy times they always were? 

Our group shared that everyone processes grief differently. It’s alright to grieve the loss of someone. And grieving is nothing to be ashamed of. 

Or maybe the bear could suggest to Tina different ways to honor her Dad. Maybe Tina could place an ornament on the tree in his name. 

Or maybe Tina and her family could visit her Father’s grave as a yearly tradition during the Holiday season. And Tina can always continue to talk to her teddy bear, as the bear was a gift from her Father. 

The situation we had in our group reminded me of how important it is to be grateful for my family and friends. Not only during this time of year, but every day throughout the year.