My daughter took her life on December 28th 1999, and Christmas was changed for ever for my husband and me. The first few years after her death we avoided being home for Christmas and went to Italy for a couple of weeks. This worked well for us, and we were fortunate to be able to do this. By the time we returned Christmas was over , and we didn't have to endure the hurt and pain of being at home without our daughter. More recently we have started to visit my stepson and his family in the New York area, staying with friends or in a hotel. On the rare occasions we stay home we generally go out for a dinner at a nice restaurant and this seems to make the day go faster, which is basically what I like to do. We have many Christmas related activities in our small New England town, and the festivities keep my mood fairly upbeat and I forget my sadness much of the time.
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