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One of our family’s Christmas bucket list items was to work a puzzle together.  As I sat down to this puzzle after a long day of hosting Thanksgiving dinner, I was reminded that with every piece there is a connecting piece somewhere in the mix that makes this whole picture complete.

This holiday season is especially hard for our family as we grieve the loss of my mother-in-law and celebrate these hard days for the first time without her. She was a central piece to our family that truly no longer feels complete without her love, humor and hugs. It is a reminder the importance of appreciating each person in our lives that keep us together even when it is easier to crumble under sadness, weariness, fear and uncertainty. Who are the puzzle pieces that surround you to keep you secure?

I met my mother-in-law when I was sixteen years old and had the privilege of having her as one of my essential pieces for over twenty years.  She was always a call away, an encouraging word or a prayer to Heaven when needed most so that empty chair at the dining room table was felt deeply this year.  In the moments when I witnessed my husband drift into grief while wrestling the reality of his first Thanksgiving without his Mom, I prayed God would comfort him and offer a hope and reassurance that her seat in Heaven has been filled. “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6.

Maybe your grief isn’t derived from losing someone that in Heaven but one still on this earth – a wayward soul that once filled a seat at your table. The pain can be just as deep, and the jagged edges of that missing piece are able to pierce your heart in the most unexpected moments. Although it seems there will never be a replacement to that void in the puzzle of our lives, there is always Jesus. “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalm 34:18. A beautiful Hope, that when called upon, will pour out His love, mercy and gentleness into the emptiness of our hearts and home. I would like to offer a few gentle thoughts for this holiday season if you too are mourning someone you love.

This holiday is different, not destroyed. Read the Book of Luke as a reminder of a future reunion and the promise of eternal life free from grief and sorrow.

Share stories. Our family found comfort in sharing stories about Karen throughout the day – celebrating her life and light in times of darkness.

Create new traditions. I encourage you to create a new tradition that acknowledges your loved one while also celebrating the immense love that remains.

All the pieces scattered across my table make up a beautiful story in time – may we never forget just how important each are in our puzzles this side of Heaven.

“From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:16.

Blessings,

Kayla