For those of us who have lost loved ones, a sure-fire way to trigger yourself into a pit of despair is to blindly face old traditions without a plan. Tradition, to many struggling with grief and loss, is a word coated with emotion of various kinds. Wrapped with hooks, barbs, harpoons, and Velcro, there’s rarely any escape when facing holiday traditions. The soul already hurting has little chance against what “always was.” There’s bound to be some sort of damage—it’s Christmas week. It’s a war zone out there.

Trust me. I know.