Looking back, moving forward: A gentle year-end reflection on healing and growth

As the year quietly draws to a close, many of us feel the pull to pause. December often brings a mix of emotions – nostalgia, gratitude, and sometimes a deep, unexpected ache. For families who have supported a loved one through medical assistance in dying (MAID), or who are grieving any kind of loss, the end of the year can feel especially tender.

This season isn’t about forced positivity or “moving on.” It’s about recognizing the ways love and loss shape us and giving ourselves space to heal at our own pace. At MAID Family Support Society, we sit with people in this complexity every day. We know that reflection can be a powerful tool – not to erase grief, but to honour it.

Honouring the love behind the loss

Grief only exists where love once lived. Year-end reflection can be a meaningful way to revisit the moments that mattered:

• The conversations that felt like gifts
• The quiet gestures of care exchanged near the end
• The strength shown in choosing a death aligned with one’s values
• The love that continues long after a person is gone

Many families tell us that looking back doesn’t reopen the wound. It helps them remember why it mattered so deeply in the first place.

Allowing your heart to hold more than one emotion

There is no single “right” way to move through the holidays after losing someone. You may feel joy one moment and heaviness the next. You might find comfort in traditions, or you may want to create new ones. Healing often looks like a mosaic of small steps:

• Letting yourself laugh without guilt
• Saying no to things that feel overwhelming
• Reaching out when the loneliness grows heavy
• Creating a ritual to honour your loved one, even if simple

Healing isn’t a destination – it’s a slow unfolding.

The quiet growth you may not notice

Even in grief, there is growth happening in the background. You might notice:

• A softer understanding of what matters
• A deeper appreciation for the connections you hold
• A clearer sense of boundaries and emotional needs
• Strength you didn’t know you had

For many families touched by MAID, this growth also includes the profound realization that end-of-life choices can reflect compassion, autonomy, and dignity. Looking back helps illuminate just how much courage was present – for you and your loved one.

Moving forward with intention

As you step into a new year, consider giving yourself permission to move in ways that feel authentic – not rushed, not forced. Some questions you might reflect on:

• What moments brought me peace this year?
• What did I learn about myself in the face of loss?
• Where can I allow more gentleness in my life?
• How do I want to carry my loved one’s memory forward?

Even quiet intentions can help guide your next chapter.

You don’t have to do this alone

If this time of year feels overwhelming, you’re not failing. You’re human. Grief—especially after a MAID experience—can come with layers of complexity: relief, sorrow, gratitude, anger, peace, confusion, or all of them at once.

Our volunteers at MAID Family Support Society are here to walk beside you. We provide emotional support, compassionate listening, and guidance for families navigating anticipatory grief, MAID planning, or life after loss. Whether you need a single conversation or ongoing accompaniment, you deserve support that honours your experience.

A gentle closing for the year

As you look back, may you find moments worth holding close.

As you look forward, may you step lightly and with compassion for yourself.

And may you remember that love doesn’t end. It transforms, accompanies, and continues in the ways you live, speak, and remember.

Wishing you peace, connection, and gentle growth as the year comes to an end.

 

Photo by Andrii Lievientsov on Unsplash