The Missing Season - When the Holidays Bring Up Who’s Not Here

The end of the year can quietly reopen a lot: grief, breakups, estranged family, friendships that faded, people you thought you’d still have in your life right now.

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the memory. It’s having to act normal around people who assume you’re “over it.”

In this talk, we’re creating space for:

• Missing people who aren’t in your life anymore (for any reason)
• Being angry at people you still love
• Feeling guilty for needing distance from family to protect your peace
• That weird loyalty tug: “If I let myself feel okay, am I betraying them?”

We’ll talk about how loss shows up in the body, in routines, in certain songs, in certain dates — not just in dramatic moments.

You’re allowed to feel love and hurt at the same time. You’re allowed to still be healing something you never really got to talk about.

You don’t have to explain why this time of year hits you the way it does. You just get to be honest about the fact that it does.