For it is in giving that we receive.
-Francis of Assisi
We discuss gratitude quite frequently at this time of year, of giving thanks for what we are grateful to have. What if we take time to focus on the later part of the holiday’s title: Thanksgiving. In giving to others we are able to receive more than we anticipate, and in actuality, get what we’ve wanted all along. We want love; give it. We want peace; give it. We want appreciation; give it. We want understanding; give it. What we’ll find is that by giving to others the very thing we want, we will receive it as well.
As a griever this holiday, consider giving to others the very thing you are craving this time of year. If you want the warm feeling of family at the dinner table, invite people to your table. If you want to feel loved and remembered this holiday, make your family and friends feel loved and remembered. If you wish you had the love and presence of your lost loved one, give the gift of love and presence to someone else.
As a griever, you have a lot to give to others in the areas of compassion, empathy, sympathy, and love. This holiday consider the ways in which your grief has enabled you to give more than before.
A.N.Carroll 