Happy New Year! We are looking forward to all that is to come this year. However, we understand that a new year doesn’t always generate feelings of eager anticipation.
For bereaved parents, it can feel as though our children are being “left behind” in the previous year. The realization that we are moving ahead into a new year, while our children are not, can bring an added sense of sorrow and grief. Personally, we experienced this feeling particularly the first new year after losing our son, Travis Jr.
Travis Jr. had lived in 2021. He lived in 2022. But 2023 was the first year that he wasn’t alive. This reality - the fact that Travis Jr. wasn’t coming into the new year with us - hurt deeply.
Journaling at the beginning of the year was helpful in processing this additional layer of grief and being able to courageously embrace the new year.
Identifying ways to honor our son’s memory, both in the day-to-day and at milestone moments, was another helpful approach to navigating the pain of not having him physically with us in the new year. Each new year, we are committed to carrying forward Travis Jr.'s memory; his memory will not be "left behind" in any previous year.
As this new year unfolds, we encourage you to find meaningful ways to honor your child’s memory throughout the year. We look forward to offering new resources to help you do exactly that.
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