To anyone

 To anyone spending the holiday season without someone who should still be here,

my heart is with you in the quiet moments no one else sees.

The empty chair.
The ornament you can’t bring yourself to hang.
The way joy feels different this year, even if you’re trying so hard to pretend it doesn’t.

Grief has a way of sitting right beside the twinkle lights.
It doesn’t disappear just because the world is celebrating.

If this season feels heavier than it should, I hope you know you’re not alone.
You’re allowed to miss them.
You’re allowed to honor them.
And you’re allowed to feel everything that comes with loving someone who’s no longer here.

My heart truly goes out to you.