{"id":5895,"date":"2023-12-28T17:33:47","date_gmt":"2023-12-28T17:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/?p=5895"},"modified":"2023-12-28T17:33:47","modified_gmt":"2023-12-28T17:33:47","slug":"actor-john-schneider-reflects-on-first-christmas-after-wifes-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/2023\/12\/actor-john-schneider-reflects-on-first-christmas-after-wifes-death.html","title":{"rendered":"Actor John Schneider Reflects on First Christmas After Wife\u2019s Death"},"content":{"rendered":"
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s_bukley \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although Christmas is a time of joy and family for many, it can be tough for those experiencing loss. Former \u201cDukes of Hazzard\u201d star John Schneider is one of those facing his first holidays after a loss. Schneider\u2019s wife of three years, Alicia Allain Schneider, died this past February<\/a> at the age of 53 after battling breast cancer. Speaking to Fox News<\/em><\/a> just before Christmas, Schneider opened up about the emotions he was feeling as he prepared for his first Christmas without his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s going to be rough,\u201d he said, discussing how he planned to spend the holiday with his in-laws and Allain\u2019s daughter. He then called grief \u201ca funny thing,\u201d admitting it will \u201csneak up on you and smack you in the back of the head.\u201d He admitted it seems to occur at moments of enjoyment. \u201cIt’s almost like grief says, \u2018No, no, no, no, no. You’re not going to smile today. You’re not going to laugh today,\u2019\u201d he said. He also spoke about coming to grips with the permanency of grief and that \u201cthe notion that grief will ever go away is silly.\u201d \u201cIt’s just something we learn to carry. And I’m learning,\u201d he said, adding he is \u201cmaking the best of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

His wife\u2019s passing doesn\u2019t mean she won\u2019t be part of the family\u2019s festivities, with the family planning to honor Alicia\u2019s memory. \u201cWe’re going to spend all that time together, which is probably what we would have done if Alicia were here. We’re going to celebrate her. We’re going to miss her. But it’s hard. It’s very hard,\u201d he said, clearly emotional. He called Alicia a \u201cwonderful, wonderful life and such a force in all of our lives.\u201d He also stated that Alicia\u2019s family would continue to be a part of his life. \u201cMy extended family through Alicia will always be my family. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

One thing that has helped Schneider with his grief is connecting with others who are grieving, particularly Dee Dee Sorvino. Sorvino\u2019s husband, Paul Sorvino, father of actress Mira Sorvino, died in July 2022. The two were connected by a mutual friend and have encouraged one another in their grief. \u201cI 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. So I do that as often as possible, and I encourage people to do the same,\u201d said Schneider.<\/p>\n

Sorvino encouraged Schneider to turn his attention to other projects to help battle his grief, which led to the two launching Schneider\u2019s new Revenuer\u2019s Reserve Premium Moonshine. According to Schneider, their collaboration has helped them both in the healing process. \u201cShe’s been able to cry a little bit. We’re talking about Paul and talking about Alicia, and I’ve been able to laugh and, at the same time, we’ve been able to birth what looks to be a really substantial moonshine business. So, you know, God pays attention. Otherwise, she’d have been sitting somewhere, not crying. I’d have been sitting somewhere not laughing. And this wouldn’t exist. It’s been a good thing all the way around.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although Christmas is a time of joy and family for many, it can be tough for those experiencing loss. Former \u201cDukes of Hazzard\u201d star John Schneider is one of those facing his first holidays after a loss. Schneider\u2019s wife of three years, Alicia Allain Schneider, died this past February at the age of 53 after…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":5898,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities"],"yoast_head":"\nActor John Schneider Reflects on First Christmas After Wife\u2019s Death<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"John Schneider\u2019s wife, Alicia Allain Schneider, died in February 2022 at the age of 53 after battling breast cancer.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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