Hospice Society

PG Hospice hosting a Celebration of Life ceremony for those grieving during the holiday

Dec 7, 2023 | 11:51 AM

PRINCE GEORGE—The holiday season is a time for family and loved ones. Some people experience excitement for the season but for those who are grieving this time of year the long winter nights only punctuate the sorrow.

Denise Torgerson from the Prince George Hospice society lost a loved one recently saying that, “as a griever, the pressure to show up with the holiday spirit can feel unbearable.”

If you feel these same emotions the Prince George Hospice society will be holding a Celebrate a Life Candle Lighting service at 6:30 p.m. on December 12 through Facebook Live.

The ritual requires three things: a container, an intention, and an action.

Examples of what that looks like include:

  • The car, music and singing to remember your loved one.
  • The kitchen table, a cup of coffee and a note book to journal in.
  • A forest path, a camera and photos.
  • The living room, with the photo album, looking at pictures.

All of these are ways to remember your person.

Hospice is inviting everyone to hold space for their loved ones noting that rituals are a way to create, remember, and to grieve. This is a moment for people to slow down, put the to-do’s aside and intentionally spend time grieving and remembering.

If you can’t make it to the event PG Hospice encourages people to attend bigger rituals in the community such as a church service, participate in choir performances or other holiday events.