We were all bombarded by the media telling us how bad 2016 was for various different reasons, celebrity deaths being one of them. With the beginning of 2017 comes the resolutions, a time for change, "New Year, New Me" etc, but this can be daunting when you're also facing another issue; The loss of a loved one.
For many people, the new year is an opportunity to start fresh and begin writing on their blank 365 page book. For many other people, it's a terrifying thought of the unknown, a brand new year to face alone without the person they've lost. The new year can be very painful if you've been bereaved, especially if it's recent.
I lost my Dad just two weeks before New Year's Day, and it made the holiday a lot more bittersweet. Everybody I knew was partying, celebrating the chance for a new start, but for me it just seemed like a burden. Why should I be happy and look forward to a year without my Dad? It didn't seem worth celebrating to me. So I stayed inside and slept through it, blissfully unaware.
If you're facing the New Year without someone you love, then remember it's okay to not want to celebrate with friends or family. It's okay to put yourself first and do whatever you're comfortable with. Don't feel obliged to start changing yourself just because everybody else has a huge list of resolutions, you can take the year to rest and deal with your grieving process.
Take care of yourself, and take the year one day at a time.
