Holidays have a way of holding memories. The meals you cooked. The full tables. The laughter. The inside jokes. The traditions.

Now, those same things can feel like reminders of loss. A stab in the heart.

Even if you’re surrounded by people, loneliness can still find its way in.

You grieve for what should have been. You long for what used to be.

Your mind flashes back to the last one you had as a family. And part of your heart begins to ache. You long for normal. For things to go back to the way they were.

But the truth is, those days are over.

It’s time to create a new normal.

Things will never be the same. And no matter how many times I tell myself that it is okay, it never feels okay.

So, I do the best I can. I put on a smile. Do “the things” and try my best not to cry.

And I pray, Dear God, give me peace in this brokenness. Fill my hurting heart with Your Joy, Your Peace, Your love. Remind me that You work all things together for good for those that love the Lord and are called accordingly.