Host cooks surf and turf while reflecting, from a therapist’s perspective, on how holidays can trigger grief and mixed feelings; the video offers guidance on allowing emotions, self-care, spending time with loved ones, and supporting others.
It's Father's Day, and I'm reminded of a lesson I've learned about holidays as a therapist. Though they're a time to come together, they can also be some of the hardest times. So let me share my experience while I cook my dad some surf and turf. Many holidays are based on various relationships like Valentine's Day or Mother 's Day, and depending on the state of that relationship or the ones we've lost, most major holidays can bring mixed feelings. For example, not everyone has a great relationship with their father, or perhaps you're a father who lost a child.
Maybe you never knew your father or maybe you lost your father recently. Many people on these holidays feel isolated and alone. They may feel down while it seems like all around them are celebrating the perfect relationships they have with those loved ones. If you're in this camp where certain holidays bring about tough feelings, just know that you aren't alone. Ask anything related to grief or loss, it's important to allow yourself to feel these emotions when they come up, stuffing them just makes it worse.
But also try to do your best to continue to move forward. Spend that time with the ones you love and doing the things you love to do. Be sure to take care of yourself the best you can during these tough times. And either way, take notice of the ones around you who you know may not be in the best place during a holiday and give them a little extra love and support. But in the meantime, enjoy this surf and turf because it most certainly will make your day better. How was it? The bomb. You heard it from him.
Reactions and comments are for members. Joining is free and takes a minute.
