Sadness, anger, guilt and anxiety are four of the main symptoms of grief, although there are many other expressions of this universal human experience. These states can get amplified during the holiday season when the spaces vacated by that which has been lost become like black holes pulling you into their vortex, and other people's joy reminds you how distinctly 'un-joyful' you feel. If you dread the holiday season, this series may help you not just cope but possibly even thrive throughout the month of December.

Grief is not a pathology; it is the natural response to loss. Some say that grief is the second most prevalent emotion in the human heart, exceeded only by love. In a world governed by impermanence we all must reconcile the fact that we will lose everything we love. And our losses are not confined to death. We lose faith, trust, hope; we lose…