As widows, the holiday season can feel really tough. Exuberant faces revelling in the joy, hope and optimism that this time of year brings, can sit sharply in contrast to the pain and emptiness we feel. 

Whilst we may have made it through Christmas unscathed, hibernating when we can and choosing how, when and with whom we engage, the beginning of a new year brings with it its own pressures.

As the invites to New Year’s Eve parties roll in, so do the expectations to look forward, make plans for the coming year and set bold resolutions. And yet, as widows, this is the very last thing we want to do. For, as we sit with the heaviness of our grief, for many of us,  the new year feels unmapped and overwhelming - often reminding us of all that we have lost  - our partner, our identity, our security and often our sense of purpose and direction. 

So, how do we navigate the new year? As widows, how do we manage the heaviness of our loss and transition into the next year in a more productive...