When I lost my grandmother this last September – it broke me. She and I shared a special connection, and she was one of the people closest to me. I used to visit her house every week and see her and talk to her. Her house was a second home to me. Words cannot describe the love I had for my grandmother. We used to spend almost every holiday at her house and had a weekly dinner there. So, this year, when the holiday season came around, there was this sadness in the air.

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We, of course, felt her absence with every day and every week that passed, but it was significantly present during the holiday season. For example, when Thanksgiving came around in November, it was a completely different feel. Usually, we would spend the holiday at my grandmother’s house with my other grandmother and aunt, and her family. We used to have our own family traditions. For example, my grandmother would call all of us the grandchildren, and together, we would set the table and prepare the turkey. It was ours, and we loved every second of it. But, as to be expected, this year everything changed.

Following what had happened, family friends invited us to celebrate the holiday with them. So, we did. We celebrated the holiday with our family friends and their extended family. At that moment, my grandmother’s absence was more present than ever. Gone were our traditions, celebrating with our own family, and most of all – her. At the end of the day, death is a natural part of life. While we shouldn’t block and ignore all of the memories that are associated with that person, we shouldn’t cling on to them either. As hard as it is, we should learn how to accept new memories and traditions into our lives while cherishing and remembering the ones we made and holding them close to our hearts. Grandma, I love you, miss you, and will never forget you and everything that you were to me.