I too have been having a hard time with Christmas this year. My grandmother died in August and Christmas Eve was really her thing. On top of that is my parents recent break up and estrangement, so it does not leave me looking forward to the holiday. I have forced myself to start new traditions with my husband and friends since my father does not really want to celebrate the season the way his mother did. While I still find myself sobbing every other day simply because they have to play O Holoy Night wherever I am (her favorite Christmas song), I do have many friends who have offered a lot of comfort and here is some of their thoughts:

He told me that loss hits us more during these times because things feel like they are in dischord. Something just isn't right. The happiness of the holidays mixed in with the sadness of loss does not make a pleasant melody. What he said, which may require a very big reliance on faith that I don't think I have, is that God always hits the right chords to help you along. Maybe he has by giving me a friend like that who would just out of the blue send me an e-mail knowing that this holiday would probably be difficult for me.