Throughout the holidays, it can be difficult to celebrate if you’ve recently lost a loved one. That’s why the Purdue Extension Farm Stress Team is available to help you if you’re coping with grief this Christmas season.
“He’s probably just happy watching over me and seeing that I’m doing what I love,” says Zoe Robinson with tears in her eyes thinking about her father, who passed away while she was a student at Purdue University. Zoe is now the Health and Human Services Educator with the Purdue University Extension Office in Randolph County. She says she felt isolated and alone after her father died.
“I really felt that for the longest time,” Zoe says. “People don’t know what it’s like to be a senior at Purdue – I lost my dad and I don’t know how I’m going to finish. But, just knowing you can push through and there’s a whole army behind you – whether it’s family, friends or even Purdue Extension – just knowing that we are there for you and we understand because someone has probably gone through a similar situation as you.”
Zoe says she now uses her experiences of overcoming grief by helping others as part of the Purdue Extension Farm Stress Team.
“Talk about your happy times and your sad times you had with them,” says Zoe. “That just has meant a lot to me just being able to talk about the good times and not letting that overshadow the sadness because we could all be in a very dark place with that.”
She says if you’ve lost a loved one over the past year – to keep their memory alive by connecting with your family and friends through those traditions you previously shared during the holidays.
“Our family thing is going to see Christmas lights,” says Zoe. “I have five nieces and nephews and that’s something my mom has really wanted to keep going. We know he was still there with us and just being able to keep him living on through things that we enjoy doing together.”
For more information about the Purdue Extension Farm Stress Team, visit extension.purdue.edu/FarmStress.
If you or someone you know is currently experiencing thoughts of suicide, or a mental health or substance use crisis, please call 988 to reach Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and speak with a trained crisis specialist 24/7.
Click BELOW to hear C.J. Miller’s news report and interview with Zoe Robinson with the Purdue Extension – Randolph County office about how the Purdue Extension Farm Stress Team offers help coping with grief and loss during the holidays.
