Mr. Speaker, grief is an emotion I never truly understood until this year.
Grief does not change us; it reveals us. We become someone it would have been impossible to be before. In this way, our loved one lives on in us. Everyone loves and everyone has loss. Grief is universal, a sacred process, yet it is so unique. We all cope differently. We do not get over the loss of a loved one but learn to courageously adapt.
This is my first Christmas without my dad. I know he would want us to make turtles, sing Silent Night, put the lights up outside and decorate the tree with ornaments that represent our collective memories, losses, prayers, hopes and holiday wishes.
This Christmas season, we should reach out to those who need a hug and let them know we care. We should speak the names of those we have lost and know that their memories will never fade away as long as we refuse to let them. Grief is not a sign of weakness or a lack of faith. It is the price of love.