Losing a loved one never gets easier to bear but sometimes in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the pain of a loss can be easier to ignore. As the holidays approach, many families will be setting one less place at the table this year; some for the first time and others for the tenth time.

No matter how long it’s been, seeing the empty place will never be easy or comfortable.

The holidays are a time when the pain of missing someone increases tenfold because so many fond and profound memories of our lives are made during this time of year.

Even the smallest thing such as eating their favorite meal or hearing their favorite Christmas song can bring on a whirlwind of emotions. It is important to remember those that we have lost and to keep their memory strong, especially during this special time of year.

While these memories may come with the tinge of pain caused by loss, hold them close to your heart.

Celebrating the holidays when you’re grieving the loss of someone special to you can be a difficult experience in many ways. Seeing a gift they would have loved or remembering the movie they absolutely hated will always happen, every year.

Whether it is your first holiday without them or your twentieth, the loss of that person will always be on your mind. Allow yourself to grieve and remember them in your own way.

This holiday season let’s choose to celebrate the memories and lives of those we have lost. Listen to their favorite songs, watch that awful movie just for laughs, eat their favorite meal three times, and set a place for them at the table.

Remember that as much as you miss that person you have lost, their memory will always stay alive in your heart.