Tag Archives: holidays

Where are My Simchas?

In Hebrew, ‘simcha’ means gladness or joy. It is often used as a noun to denote any celebration because a celebration is always a cause for happiness. Simchas are usually connected with one’s children: births, Bar or Bat Mitzvahs, weddings. It is … Continue reading

Posted in Ceremony, Coping, Friends and Family, Grief, Jake Colman, Sadness | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

December 31, 2015

The following post is from last year at this time. That joyous, pineapple martini New Year’s Eve seems so far away, like a fragment of a dream remembered upon awakening. Two years ago we sat in our home, the first night … Continue reading

Posted in Coping, Friends and Family, Grief, Honoring Jake, Memory, Sadness | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Thanksgiving 2015

I want to reach out to all of those who may have an empty chair at their Thanksgiving table this year. A chair once occupied by a loving son or daughter. For them, this is a difficult time of year, … Continue reading

Posted in Ceremony, Coping, Friends and Family, Healing, Honoring Jake, Jake's Spirit, Memory, Support | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Another Anniversary

Today is Jake’s Yahrzeit, the Memorial Anniversary of his death. The payment for having two birthdays, one in the “English” or Gregorian calendar and one in the Jewish calendar is that there are now two days on which to remember … Continue reading

Posted in Ceremony, Coping, Daily Ramblings, Grief, Honoring Jake, Jake Colman, Memory | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A Darkened Hanukkah

Hanukkah. The Festival of Lights. The holiday commemorates the rededication of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem around 165 BCE. The Romans had sacked and looted the temple, and a band of Jewish guerrillas lead by Judah Maccabee prevailed over the … Continue reading

Posted in Ceremony, Food, Friends and Family, Honoring Jake, Jake Colman, Jake's Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

It’s Gonna Be a Tough Few Weeks

Well, here we go. Careening into the ‘holiday season’. For many people, this is a very difficult time of year under the best of circumstance; for someone who is grieving the loss of a child, it can be excruciating. That … Continue reading

Posted in Ceremony, Coping, Friends and Family, Grief, Jake Colman, Sadness | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments