If your valentine or loved one has died, Valentine’s Day can be a painful and lonely day—you may be left wondering how to get through it.

But it doesn’t have to be a day completely overshadowed with despair and sadness. You can make it a day of remembering, celebrating and honoring your beloved and the relationship you had.

As I mentioned in a Blog post around Christmas time, you can set a place at the table for your deceased (or have on the table a special object affiliated with your beloved) and cook your loved one’s favorite recipe in their honor. On Facebook I recently posted how I used one of Cindy’s recipes (although I don’t know that it was her favorite) and for a moment she was back in our hearts. It was really neat!

Or you might find some peace in talking with other people who can share your loss, feelings and pain—reach out to family or friends.

And as you can do during many holidays that are difficult to endure, look through old photo/memory/scrapbook albums and feel the love and companionship of your memories.

I like doing something good for other people—you could volunteer at a hospice, or wherever you feel compelled to go.

And one of my favorite rituals…light a candle in honor of your deceased beloved.

And one last thing…don’t forget to show gratitude and love to those people who are still in your life, whether they are near or far.

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James