How very sad. I am sorry.

It's always difficult to deal with a loss of a loved one but I've always felt to lose one around the holidays it's magnified that much more. (((((Rosemary)))))

I am so sorry for your loss. Christmas must be a sad time for you.

I am so sorry to hear this sad news. It does make it harder when it is holiday time. We have had several deaths at holiday times, too. We lost a baby and both my sisters died on Labor Day weekend. My oldest sister died on my youngest daughter's birthday and my youngest sister was buried on her birthday. My uncle died last year on Christmas Day and it was his birthday. A dear friend died on the 4th of July. He was always my hero. He helped me so much when my husband had a bad wreck the first year we were married. He was like a brother to me.. It seems like one or two holidays always has a death for us each year..

Oh rosemary, how sad for you and your son-in-laws family. Losing loved ones is always tough but never more so than during what should be fun family times. ((((to all)))

Oh how sad I am very sorry for your loss, my deepest sympathies.

I am sorry for your losses.

Very sorry for your losses. I belong to an online widows group and a lot of the women had holiday losses. It makes it harder to celebrate a holiday when it is the anniversary of a death.

I'm so sorry for everyone's grief.

Years ago, when the family was larger & closer, it seemed like almost every Thanksgiving or Christmas we had a death.

I later realized that the larger the group, the more losses you're going to have;
way back when, we had my grandparents, all 12 of their children, all the sons- & daughters-in-law, the children's children. There were even a few of my grandparents' siblings still around, & their children, etc.

Also, the Thanksgiving-season losses were often men in their 50's or older who were at the deer lease when they had a heart attack, too far away to get to medical help in time.

& Christmas is just after the Winter Solstice, which is the longest night of the year;
it seems like it's easier to "let go" when there's less daylight & more darkness.

& sometimes people hang on for one reason or another, ie, until the daughter can get home, until their birthday, even until the loved one who's been staying with them goes home for a break;
it's like that person tethers them, & they can't leave while the loved one is present.

My aunt's husband did that:
she stayed right by his bedside in the hospital, & one day he said,
"Honey, why don't you go home & take a nap & come back later? I'm so tired. I have got to get some rest."

so she went home to shower & throw some laundry in the washer, maybe take a nap.

The hospital called less than 2 hours later to tell her that he had died.

I am sorry for the loss. It is especially sad to lose a loved one around the holidays. My dear mother-in-law was one of three children. She passed on 12/26/2000; her sister passed on 12/26/2002; her brother passed late at night on 12/25/2009.

Our first grandchild was born 3 weeks early on Christmas Day of 2006.

I also am sorry for your loss. It is sad at any day, but magnified on or near a holiday. I have one coming soon...DH passed away one minute until midnight on New Years Eve. Blessings to you and all who are missing loved ones, especially this time of the year.

It is hard to know why, my MIL passed away 12/22/1966, and it was the first time she had bought all the gifts early and had them wrapped. We went on with Christmas, but after it was traumatic, BIL got shot on the way to the funeral, and his wife delivered there 3rd child. Oh that time was a complete blank with another BIL causing trouble, because he did not like the casket the kids picked out. This year GD had 4 wisdom teeth pulled 3 days before Christmas , doing ok ( I think)
We just don't know why things happen, sending prayers and symphony for the loss of the father of BIL

This post was edited by marie-ndcal on Fri, Dec 26, 14 at 17:02

My young and beautiful niece passed away days before Thanksgiving. It's so hard to deal with! It really does knock the joy right out of the holidays that's for sure. Seems almost not right to celebrate while others(her parents and brother etc) are in such pain.

This post was edited by arkansas_girl on Fri, Dec 26, 14 at 17:40

I'm so sorry for your son-in-law's family, sorry for everyone's losses. I attended a funeral and a viewing today--one for my aunt's husband, and another for a former classmate, who was much too young. Former classmate's niece is married to my cousin's son, so many of us attended both.

Thanks for the responses. I don't post here much, but I'm a semi-regular lurker. ;)

Thanks again for the kind words. I appreciate it.

One of our dear friends on the board where we have been members for ever just lost her father and I mentioned how hard holiday deaths are. They are forever associated with the holiday. My husband passed just before Christmas and to make it worse we had gone home to his Mothers to celebrate and it was his first Christmas at home in many years. he was buried on Christmas eve day....

This post was edited by ruthieg__tx on Sun, Dec 28, 14 at 14:15

There was a tragedy in our area this Christmas when a 24-year-old young woman was killed in a one-car accident Christmas night. She was the daughter of a well-known local family.

My dad died on Easter, my daughter on Memorial Day.

But holidays are hard no matter when a loved one is lost. It's easier to accept the loss of an elderly family member, or at least it should be. It's the natural order of things, so it's expected at some point. I don't associate Easter with my father's death at age 90, but if my mother had died on Easter (she had just turned 38) I probably would.

I just found out my Aunt Died the day after Christmas. Oh how I hate this!

My mom passed away several years ago after new years day. We try to remember the good times we had growing up but it is always in the back of your mind. I live in another state then she did and someone tries to go to the cemetery to place a wreath on her grave. mom loved the holidays and all her children, grandchildren and sisters. I am sorry for your loss. I hope the holiday gets better for you in the future.
Mary

I'm so sorry to hear that! We have two friends who lost family members- one on Christmas Eve and one on Christmas day- this year. They were young enough that no one was expecting it.