Main navigation

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
    • CATEGORIES
      • Lifestyle
      • Home
      • Travel
      • Fashion + Beauty
      • business
  • Work With Me
    • Coaching
    • Partnerships
  • Press
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Skip to primary navigation
    • Skip to content

    The Kachet Life

    Lifestyle Tastemaker + Coach for Creatives

    Keeping Someone’s Memory Alive During The Holidays

    December 8, 2015holidays, lifestyle

     

    It doesn’t matter if it happened 9 months ago or 9 years ago, losing someone you love is hard, and it seems like the pressure comes to a boiling point once the holiday music starts playing everywhere you go. Here are a few ways to cope and keep your loved one’s memory alive during the holiday season.

    • Keep tradition alive

    It’s hard to carry on with holidays as they used to be when someone you love is no longer present. My first Christmas without my mother was agony. It was her favorite holiday and my family tried to do all of the things that she would’ve done and it only made us feel worse in the end. Significant time has passed and yes, people are correct when they say that time has a way of healing, but I like to infuse pieces of what my mom did to make my family’s holiday special so it feels like she’s still here. Christmas Eve was spent listening to Christmas music, baking treats and opening one present before bed and that is something that I want to continue as my close friend group and family expands.

    • Donate your time or money in their honor

    While I believe that one should give back year-round, it always feels good to do so around the holidays. If they had a favorite charity, then that is easy for you, but you can think out of the box, too.Was your loved one an animal lover? Maybe it makes sense to volunteer at the SPCA a couple of times. If they loved children, maybe offer your talents in tutoring or supporting a cause that improves a child’s life. If Christmas was their holiday (you know what I mean), consider adopting a family. Whatever cause they most aligned with, a donation in their honor leaves a little piece of them with the person (or puppy) that you touch, and that is magical.

    • Do a random act of kindness for them – and for yourself

    The world we live in could use a little extra kindness, a little bit of extra care. We can’t change people but we can change how we act and react. Perhaps next time you’re in line to buy coffee, take care of the person behind you. If you see someone who is hungry, maybe buy them a meal when you’re grabbing your lunch. I know many people hold the door for elderly and pregnant women, but what about the person who is carrying a lot in their hands? It doesn’t take much and many opportunities present themselves every day. When you do it, think about your loved one and how good they would’ve felt if that happened to them.

    • Get people together who love the person you love

    Everyone who I consider a close friend of mine has heard at least one story about my mother or grandmother. It is very therapeutic to talk about them, but it makes me feel even better to share memories with others that knew them. It may be easy to describe a laugh or the type of hug a person would give you, but unless you’ve been embraced by them, you never can quite grasp how it felt, or how after hearing them laugh, you laughed. Celebrating someone’s life by sharing memories can comfort you in ways you cannot imagine.

    • Allow yourself to cry

    It’s okay to cry. I know it sounds cliche, but so many of us hold it in and don’t allow for release (except me, I’m a crybaby). You’re not made of steel and acting like you don’t miss someone isn’t fair to you. It’s okay to miss someone. Thinking about someone you love that’s passed means that you are taking time to remember their place in your life. Take the time.

     

    What do you do to keep your loved one’s memory alive? Please share in the comments so we can get through this together!

    You may also like

    • Musings of a Bereaved Daughter

    • Reflecting on My Goal of a Healthier Lifestyle

    • hum by Colgate - The Kachet Life-1

      Five Steps That Elevate My Morning Routine

    coping with loss, coping with loss over the holidays, grieving, grieving over the holidays, sacramento blogger, the lipstick giraffe

    ABOUT Kachet

    The Kachet Life is a relatable lifestyle blog for the modern woman. Well-rounded, bright, beautifully photographed and playfully written, The Kachet Life is driven by entertaining, travel, beauty and life hacks, but also dishes out advice for life’s more stressful moments.

    NEWER
    OLDER

    Reader Interactions

    5 Comments

    1. Christine Ballisty Photography says

      December 8, 2015 at 2:46 pm

      I love you. Thanks for creating this post. My Dad loved Christmas…

      XOXO from MSP,
      CB

      Reply
      • Kachet - The Lipstick Giraffe says

        December 8, 2015 at 3:10 pm

        I love you too, and I had to! 😉 See you when you return to SMF!

        Reply
    2. Kimberly says

      December 8, 2015 at 2:48 pm

      This was a great post!!! I miss my Aunt Theresa, Lizzy J & Poppa Gene…..honoring there memory will be a way to keep them close and not forgotten.

      Reply
      • Kachet - The Lipstick Giraffe says

        December 8, 2015 at 3:11 pm

        Absolutely!!

        Reply
    3. Carly Velez Huston says

      December 15, 2016 at 4:19 pm

      Thank you for the tips! I will share this!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

    @thekachetlife

    This is the mood I am embodying all week as I talk This is the mood I am embodying all week as I talk back to the mean girl in my own head! That bitch always shows up right when I “get ready” to do something. What about you? Let’s face em together. 

There is no right time.
There is no cheat code. 
You just have to humble yourself, frickin show up and  DO IT.
It can be as fun or regimented as you decide so long as you are moving in a forward direction, a direction that takes you closer to that goal.

Are you waiting for the right time? And no, I’m not asking for a friend. I’m asking for myself. There will be no more ideas living in a notebook until it “feels good.” If it feels good, it ain’t growth or taking US higher!

Celebrate the win in advance if you have to. Whatever gets you going (yes, I believe in dessert first).

This week, L E T ‘ S 👏🏾 G E T 👏🏾 I T !  #levelupshowup
    WHAT HAS SNOWMAGEDDON TAUGHT ME? That there is po WHAT HAS SNOWMAGEDDON TAUGHT ME?

That there is power in community and Dallas reminds me a lot of Sacramento right now. Shoutout to @dallasites101 for going ALL OUT with their resources. 

That love will always save the day and maybe not in the way you think but just in the way you need. 

That having no power in or out of unit for days and not being able to leave because the roads are so bad is no fucking joke. Talk about a reality check and gratitude break on so many fronts. 

That I really need to get my emergency kit to include “Snowy Conditions” and get a damn shovel + boots. Maybe a truck instead of the Mini? 🚙

Who knew it got like this in Dallas?! 🤯🤯🤯 I didn’t. AT ALL. We’re beyond blessed to have a warm and safe place right now with food, hot water and more.

Prayers up 🙏🏾for everyone that is going through it during this time and for those that still don’t have power, that can’t get to loved ones and those that are having a hard time dealing with this on top of the fact that we’re in a global pandemic. I always say the new year truly starts in February, but it looks like it might be March this time. 

I heard it’s going to be 72 and ☀️next week… y’all, I can’t make this stuff up! 

Are you affected by the weather?! Where are you located? 
#KachetTakesDallas
    Happy Monday, y’all! What is going on? Well, her Happy Monday, y’all! What is going on? Well, here are answers to your questions (😆😆):
◾️Yes, it’s snowing in Dallas...it’s 12 degrees right now. And it’s gonna be cold with potentially more snow this week. WTF 
◾️We had power but now it’s off again...daytime is okay but night time sucks.
◾️I have on a fleece under here but of course when I posed, the sleeves pulled up in the coat (now I get the thumb hole concept...). I don’t own boots for this so my California is showing! ☀️🕶🌴
◾️ @lifeofrudytheboston HATES it as you can tell from his face...but he managed to run for at least 5 min with a pack of other dogs at the park. Thank the LAWD.
◾️ Being snowed in in a city that doesn’t do snow feels crazy. But it’s kind of nice and this will make a helluva story one day.

How’s your Monday going? Tell me somethin good! 🥶❄️☃️
    “But you’re not a designer..” My reply: “S “But you’re not a designer..” My reply: “So?”
—
I had another influencer tell me that once. 🤷🏾‍♀️ I haven’t ever nor will I claim to be one, but there’s something about personalizing a space and leaving no corner untouched that gives me a rush! And I will share it as long as I feel like it. 🤣 Small spaces are my jam, and in true Thursday fashion, I had to throw it back to the first place that truly got the wheels turning for me!
—
I called it the treehouse because it was on the 2nd floor and it was surrounded by trees! The only drawbacks were street parking, no laundry (fluff + fold, hello!) + the lack of counter space for a chef like me, but I made it work with a piece of wood that cornered the sink as well as a drop leaf table that was attached the wall. This space made it to @apartmenttherapy (linked the feature in my bio if you’re curious) and it affirmed my love of small spaces, as you’ve seen over the years. Fast forward to today — and I’m at it again! I’ve got a living room + bedroom on my hands. One is 50% complete. I’ll be sharing more next week and can’t wait to hear what you think! 
—
What projects are you tackling this year? And what vibe are you trying to evoke? For me, it’s all about luxurious comfort and feeling like I’m on vaca. 🛋🏝😎#AtHomeWithKachet

    The Kachet Life © 2021 - DESIGNED BY HERPARK STUDIO