<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It&rsquo;s a New Year! And because it&rsquo;s a new year I realized that when I talk about my dad&rsquo;s death in March 2024, I will now say he died &ldquo;last year&rdquo; rather than &ldquo;in March.&rdquo; That is a new way for me to describe his death. The passage of time continues so each new holiday and event is another one without my dad&rsquo;s bodily presence. This is true for all grievers and somehow it struck me in a new way this day. But as our theme for this month says, <strong>&ldquo;Having Hope&rdquo;</strong> helps. I <strong>have hope</strong> that as time passes, my grief will continue to transform me, and my experience of the holidays and events will continue to evolve. </span></p>