Opinion
The former “Dukes Of Hazzard” star John Schneider is preparing to celebrate his first Christmas since the death of his beloved wife Alicia Allain, who died back in February at the age of 53 after a battle with breast cancer. In a new interview, Schneider is opening up about just how difficult this holiday will be for him.
Christmas Is ‘Going To Be Rough’ For Schneider
“It’s going to be rough,” Schneider, 63, admitted to Fox News. “Grief is a funny thing. Grief will sneak up on you and smack you in the back of the head. Truly, when you least expect it. But usually right as you’re having a great time.”
“It’s almost like grief says, ‘No, no, no, no, no. You’re not going to smile today,’” he continued. “‘You’re not going to laugh today.’ But, you know, the notion that grief will ever go away is silly. Grief will never go away. It’s just something we learn to carry. And I’m learning. Not a lesson I ever wanted. Not a skill I ever wanted to acquire. But, you know, here it is. So I’m making the best of it.”
Schneider went on to say that he plans to celebrate Christmas in Nashville, Tennessee with Allain’s parents and her daughter Jessica, who she had with an ex-husband. They plan to honor Allain as best they can over the holiday.
“We’re going to spend all that time together, which is probably what we would have done if Alicia were here,” Schneider explained. “We’re going to celebrate her. We’re going to miss her. But it’s hard. It’s very hard. We’re going to celebrate such a wonderful, wonderful life and such a force in all of our lives.”
Related: ‘Dukes Of Hazzard’ Star John Schneider Thanks His Fans In ‘Letter To Heaven’ Months After His Wife’s Death
‘All You Can Do Is Hang On’
Spending Christmas with his in-laws and Jessica is “one big way” that Schneider will be continuing the Christmas traditions that he previously shared with Allain.
“My extended family through Alicia will always be my family,” Schneider added. “So I’ll be part of what they do, just as we were all part of what one another did for the last eight or nine years. So I’m going to keep that going.”
However, Schneider admits that he’s still not ready to think about what other traditions he’ll continue on with in the absence of his late wife.
“I would be I’d be lying if I said I had any kind of a concrete plan because you’re not ready,” he said. “You can’t be ready. It’s impossible. All you can do is is hang in and hold on. “
“I have found that helping other people, talking to other people who have experienced loss is a great, great way to strengthen yourself. It’s a great way to get a grip on yourself,” he continued. “So I do that as often as possible, and I encourage people to do the same.”
Related: ‘Dukes Of Hazzard’s’ John Schneider Credits His Christian Faith With Getting Him Through His Wife’s Death
Schneider Leaning On His Christian Faith
Schneider has been open about his grieving process for his beloved wife, crediting his strong Christian faith with helping him to deal with this unimaginable loss in another Fox News interview back in September.
“If it weren’t for my faith, if it weren’t for my belief, absolute belief that God is real. Heaven is real,” Schneider said at the time. “The promise of God that Alicia and I will see each other again forever. If it weren’t for that, I think I would have jumped off a bridge.”
“But I believe because my grandmother instilled it in me with one very brief conversation,” he continued. “I was about 8 years old, and she said, ‘Johnny, one of these days, I’m not going to be here anymore, but don’t worry, I’ll be with Jesus and you will see me again.’”
This is clearly not going to be an easy Christmas for Schneider. Please join us in saying a prayer for him during this difficult time.
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