What To Do On Valentine’s Day If Your Partner Has Died

By: Allison Gilbert

Valentine’s Day has the capacity to magnify loss. Ads for flowers. Paper hearts on store windows. It can all feel, well, a lot. Here are three activities you can do before February 14 and on the holiday itself.

Frame Their Handwriting — Go through old letters and notes. Find one that feels especially meaningful to you. Frame it. When family and friends come over to visit, share the story – your one-of-a-kind love story. And say their name out loud. 

Eat Ice Cream — Or any food your loved one enjoyed. Taste is one of the strongest memory-boosters we have. Make your loved one’s favorite meal. Savor it. Carve out time to reflect and remember. 

Watch and Listen —The below recordings are some of my favorites from the Passed and Present conversation series, hosted by me, author Allison Gilbert. Each features a discussion about spouse and partner loss. Click any image below to watch the recording. 

Need a welcoming place to share your feelings as Valentine’s Day approaches? Join our private Facebook community. We hope you’ll be part of our growing community.

Allison Gilbert is co-author of Listen, World!: How the Intrepid Elsie Robinson Became America's Most-Read Woman, the first biography of American writer Elsie Robinson. Her previous books include, Passed and Present: Keeping Memories of Loved Ones Alive, Parentless Parents: How the Loss of Our Mothers and Fathers Impacts the Way We Raise Our Children, and Always Too Soon: Voices of Support for Those Who Have Lost Both Parents. 

Learn more about Allison on her website: allisongilbert.com.

Please take a moment to follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. She’s everywhere as “agilbertwriter."