My heart holds grief for my grandmother each Valentine’s Day. Though my grandfather passed ten years ago, his love lingers. It’s loud enough to fill the empty spaces he once took up. This is, of course, a beautiful thing. After all, my grandmother started dating him at 16 and never looked back.But regardless of knowing you were loved, there’s an undeniable weight, a raw wound, that comes with a past-tense relationship torn apart by death. It’s a unique sadness that never fully heals on this side of heaven, forcing you to navigate life with heartache forever settled on your shoulders and in your bones.Valentine’s Day only amplifies it all, as there is no new card, box of chocolates, or dozen roses delivered to your desk or front porch. He isn’t waiting for you to get home so he can take you out for a romantic candlelight dinner, and she isn’t there to wow you in her beautiful red dress.The World’s Heartless VoiceThe world and all its marketing resources are whispering that you’re alone, and when the love of your life is gone from this world, there’s no way to “fix” the loneliness. Are ads and commercials intentionally taunting you for being a widow/widower? No. But they certainly aren’t considering your emotional state and the battles you are facing as they drown the world in gushy clickbait.Thus, this holiday that once gifted you endearing affection now demands that you survive its ghost. It has turned a cold, calloused shoulder to your circumstances and leaves your heart in the dust as it markets to a newer generation or a different crowd of lovebirds.So, whether you are a new widow/widower, or you are a loved one watching as your family member or close friend endures this Valentine’s Day alone, consider these prayers of comfort. Allow their words to fill the cracks and crannies of your brokenness that’s so raw and real in this romantic holiday season:Photo credit: ©GettyImages/sestovic