NORWICH – The holidays can be a very sad time for those grieving the loss of a loved one. An emotional wedge may come between the bereaved and those in good cheer surrounding them. It’s not uncommon to hear grieving persons say “I just want to crawl into bed, and pull the covers over my head until January.”

Hospice and Palliative Care of Chenango County has decades of experience in grief therapy. Brenda Birdsall, social worker and Bereavement Care Coordinator for the agency, knows how tough the holidays can be. “That’s why I’ve scheduled an six-week support group that will focus specifically on holiday season grief.” The group will meet Monday evenings from 5:30-7 p.m. begininning Nov. 16. Birdsall hopes that the group will help many people better cope with their feelings around Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve. “Coming face to face with that empty chair at the holiday table can bring an avalanche of grief that is paralyzing. Hospice wants to help in any way it can.”