The first Christmas after a family break up....

The first christmas after a family break up can be almost impossible to get through emotionally. Lets admit it, if you're brought up like me family is such an important thing and christmas is an important time. As a divorced parent I had no idea 10 years ago how I would navigate through some negative emotions. Christmas had been built around traditions, and although in the past the relationships werent healthy, the situations were familiar and comfortable. There was a sense of belonging. It was habitual and there were so many friendships aside from the nuclear family. There were lots of friends and family for a time...and then suddenly there were none It was a sad and difficult time of not knowing what I was supposed to feel. And I know a lot of you are going through this as we speak and that is why I am sharing my experience at that time. I can feel the intense heartache and emotion as a lot of you embark on your first x-mas as separated parents. The good news is I survived and it does pass. Things do change, and things grow for the better. My only wish is that I had reached out more to friends and family because sometimes we need to tell them how we feel. I enjoyed making new traditions and created some new memories. The biggest gift that you can give yourself at this time is the one of 'survival' ..for it is with time that as you fill what was ' familiar' with something new..we feel 'ALIVE' again. If you've never been through a separation its difficult to understand the repercussions and emotion although it may be the right thing to do...there is a lot of loss that occurs in such times. The exciting part is that your life will evolve into something fresh and new and I am blessed to say that it may be what you never may have expected. Con Amor Kari