While the holiday season is meant to be a time of joy and good cheer, for many dealing with loss, depression or sadness it can be a very difficult and lonely time.
As gifts are bought and wrapped with loving care, and families gather to give thanks for what is, many long for what was and will never be again, while others long for that which never has been.
Faced with the traditional holiday images and celebrations, it can exacerbate the feelings of sadness, grief and loss, for those who are grieving the death of a loved one or friend, tragedies in the community, a broken relationship, loss of employment, failing health or some other circumstance that makes this time of year challenging.
If you are finding this holiday season a difficult one or simply wish to remember a special person in your life, the Comox United Church along with the Comox Valley Hospice Society and St. Joseph’s Hospital pastoral care services invite you to attend the annual Celebrate a Life—Blue Christmas Service this Saturday.
This special service of comfort and healing acknowledges the sense of sadness and grief, while at the same time offers solace, support, compassion and commemoration. The Celebrate a Life — Blue Christmas Service is a time of remembrance accompanied by music and readings. It is also an opportunity to honour departed loved ones by hanging a memorial tag on the Christmas tree and signing the hospice memory book.
The Celebrate a Life—Blue Christmas Service will be held at the Comox United Church at 250 Beach Dr. on Dec. 10 starting at 1 p.m.
Friends and family are welcome to attend. Refreshments will follow the service.
For more information on the service, or for support during the holiday season, call the Comox Valley Hospice Society at 250-339-5533. Additional resources and information are also available online at www.comoxhospice.com.
— Comox Valley Hospice Society