For grieving survivors, holidays can bring renewed sense of loss after a loved one's death

George Coleman and his wife, Shirley, hit the open road in their 1957 Ford coupe with "Just Married" on their car.

He says he still sees her in his visions that are as clear as the day in August 1959 when they wed.

"It might sound crazy, but I talk to her at night," he said recently. "I talk out loud to her."

He talks to his Shirley, the girl he met in school on Massey Hill in Fayetteville, who was the same girl who waited for him to come home from the U.S. Navy.

"I tell her I love her," he said, "and that I will be with her someday."

Just before they were set to celebrate their 60th anniversary, Shirley Coleman died on July 4th.

"She went out with a bang," George Coleman said, a joke that reflects how death could not put asunder the couple's sense of humor.

But in truth, Shirley Coleman went out quietly after her kidney failed. She had been sick for some time.

Her husband has grappled with her loss ever since, a yearning made worse during the holidays.

"This year will be different, but I will get through," he said.

The couple's son, Kevin, said his mother's passing has left a huge void.

"They're not going to be the same," he said. "Our mom was really the center of the family, so our center is gone."

"I know the challenges the holidays bring," said Vivian Short, a chaplain for Pruitt Health who ministered to the Coleman family..

For others grappling with the loss of a loved one during the holidays, Short says they shouldn't feel pressured to put on a happy face.

"There's no shame in tears," she said. "So, we shouldn't be afraid if they come up at times."

She said mourners shouldn't be afraid to reminisce and laugh out loud.

"Sometimes in our grieving, we feel like it's wrong to laugh (or) it's wrong to have joy because I'm grieving." Short said.

She suggests that families talk about their loved one or consider starting a new tradition to keep their memory alive.

"Families can light a candle," she said. "I would encourage people not to isolate themselves."

George Coleman has his sons, his grandchildren and an unbroken circle of people who love him.

"I think we all decided we're going to try to celebrate her this season," Kevin Coleman said.