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This is NPR's LifeKit. I'm Kat Chow. When I was a kid, I watched the Winter Holiday

shift for my family after my mother died. We no longer gathered with her family, and

instead, it was just my sisters, my dad, and me, which at first felt so quiet. It took

us years for the holidays to feel like holidays. In the middle of the pandemic, I lost an

uncle, and it feels surreal still, not being able to gather with family to mourn, not having

the usual traditions to help direct our grief. I've had to figure out ways to honor his

life on my own. And I know I'm not alone. I don't know what it's going to look like this

year, but I know that her tradition won't go away. We heard from many of you about how

you cope in this time. We would always continue to hang dad's Christmas stocking on a fireplace

mantle. We heard about all the ways we find to keep our lost relatives alive.

My mom's passing became even more reason for us to eat our holiday foods, exchange gifts,

and sing. The little reminders that hold big meaning. Seeing my grandma's China on the

table really brings her back to me. The holidays can always feel like this marker of time.

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