A Christmas concert to remember

I will never forget what it felt like to celebrate Christmas only weeks after my grandma died. No one in my family was feeling festive, and it seemed like we went through the motions of celebration because we simply didn’t know what else to do.

The person who took it the hardest, of course, was my mom. She had just lost her last parent after caring for her for six months. My mom was a rock as my grandma slowly got sicker and sicker, and I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been to put on a happy face day after day. Then, suddenly, grandma was gone, and mom was no longer needed.

It’s very strange how the most unlikely thing can change a person’s attitude so drastically, but that is exactly what happened to my family. We had purchased tickets to the Barenaked Ladies Christmas Show, and after much deliberation, we still decided to attend. My mom absolutely loves the band, and we needed to do something fun over the holidays.

As the band performed popular song after popular song, I watched as the smile on my mom’s face slowly grow wider and wider. At the end of the concert – after about four encores – we were both out of our seats laughing, dancing, and singing along. It was perfect. We left the concert feeling festive and jubilant. It was a pick-up that we all desperately needed.

My heart goes out to anyone who has the misfortune of losing a loved one over the holiday season. It isn’t easy. My advice is to lean on the family you have left for support. They are hurting too, and together, you can make it. We did, and we’re so much closer because we stuck together.

Merry Christmas, grandma. I love you.