Funeral home helps people grieving this holiday season

For many people dealing with the loss of a loved one, the holidays can be tough.

Mulhearn Funeral Homes is trying to help with two candlelight vigils to let people grieve and remember.

"You need to remember them. Your memory is what's going to get you through."

Dianne Guillot knows that's the only real way to handle loss

"You have to grieve. You cannot always be upbeat. It is said that there are a million tears to be shed over death."

As the director of family services at Mulhearn Funeral Home, helping people grieve is Guillox’s job. She says this time of year it's tougher on people because it's hard to handle losing a loved one through the holidays.

"You don't want to do your Christmas card, you don't want to do your tree in your house, you don't want to do the outside lighting," she says.

There are things you can do to help she says, like adopting a family for Christmas. She says, "Do their Christmas for them. Tell them you are doing it to honor your loved one."

She also says it's important to keep their memories alive. Even a picture can go a long way.

"You want to talk about them and who are we going to upset and who we're not. But if we get upset then we just get upset."

She says the key is to find what works for you. "You have to find your way and you have to walk those steps yourself and not walk someone else's steps and not let someone else push you into walking those steps," she says.

She thinks finding a way to cope is the best way forward. "It will make every Christmas hard for the rest of your life until you learn to realize that they are in a better place."

She says finding new holiday traditions will help fight the holiday blues.