In my grief group this month, one member shared that she is feeling some anxiety as she thinks about the new year approaching, because 2025 was the last year she got to spend with her partner. She expressed that she feels like she’s leaving them behind, knowing they will not be here as she steps into 2026 and this new chapter of her life.
The changing of the calendar year can be a celebratory time for many — a time to reflect on the past twelve months, all that was accomplished, the growth, the newness. Yet this time also serves as a reminder for many of what was lost — the unwelcome changes, the things we were forced to let go of. Not in the “cleansing” or refreshing way that so many people create new-year intentions around, such as releasing bad habits or negativity, but in a way that reflects deep, painful losses that forever shape a person’s life.
For many, 2025 is the year they lost the love of their life, or their child, or their beloved pet. It might be the year their house burned down. The year they got divorced. The year they lost their job and financial security. Or perhaps the year a flood washed away the ground they stood on.
The turning of the calendar year represents a portal into a new chapter of life — a doorway that closes once they walk through. It marks the ending of a life they used to have, and the beginning of a vast unknown that brings fear, mystery, and a sense of being lost or unsure about what comes next.
For others, like myself, who have lost someone many years ago, the New Year marks another year that has passed without them here. Another year without the chance to make new memories. Another reminder of all they have missed out on — big milestones they couldn’t be here for. And with each passing year, they may feel even farther away, a painful reminder that time still moves forward without them.
As a grief coach and a part of the team at The Confident Grief Coach School, we understand the significance of a new calendar year and what this transition means for people carrying the weight of grief. The New Year may not feel like a celebration — and within the grief community, it becomes an opportunity to honor all that was lost, the monumental shifts so many have experienced as they lost something (or someone) so, so special. The New Year becomes a time to acknowledge the big changes and the big feelings that come with those changes.
In our B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Coaching Model for Grief™, honoring practices are an integral part of how we support our grieving clients. Honoring practices provide space to process loss and integrate all that has changed. They offer an opportunity to bear witness to the deeply painful and transformative nature of grief — one that can turn someone’s whole universe on its side. Honoring practices become a sacred ritual to remember who or what was lost, and to intentionally bring them with us as we step into our next chapter with them in spirit.
Even though we can’t “fix” someone’s pain, honoring practices become a form of medicine for a grieving heart. Sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is to simply honor and recognize the depth of our pain — and the depth of our love.
The New Year is a time that holds a lot of emotional charge — the joy and celebration of another year on this earth, and the tremendous grief for those who no longer have the chance to see another year. If you’re mourning a deep loss this year, please know that you are not alone, and it’s completely okay to take the time you need to honor your grief.
If you’re curious about how you can support others on their grief journey and want to learn more about The Confident Grief Coach School’s B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Coaching Model for Grief™, you can explore how to become a Certified Grief Coach and learn to hold sacred, grounded space for those navigating loss.