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The holidays can "heighten" emotion, and no one knows that more than radio host Delilah
She spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about where she finds hope after the death of two of her children
Delilah recently partnered with Sonos to help relieve the stress of hosting for the holidays
The holidays can bring a mix of emotions, with conflicting feelings of joy and nostalgia alongside loneliness and grief.
No one knows this more than radio host Delilah, who has been spreading holiday cheer across the radio waves for decades, reaching countless listeners and sharing their stories of heartbreak with kindness and understanding.
"Everybody during the holidays feels a heightened sense of whatever their emotions are," the radio host, 65, tells PEOPLE.
"When you've gone through loss, when you've gone through a breakup, when you've gone through losing a family member, or this year, jobs and the economy, those emotions you're feeling can be heightened times 10," she adds.
Her advice when dealing with hardship during the holidays is to "bring yourself down," and "bring yourself back to baseline and say, 'Just for today, I'm gonna choose joy. Maybe tomorrow I'll stress out and worry again. Just for today, in fact, just for the next hour, I'm going to choose joy and peace.' "
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She notes that "when you have hope in your heart, you don't have room for anxiety, you don't have room for negativity, you don't have room for anger or depression."
"When you have hope, you're looking forward to a brighter tomorrow," she adds. "That hope can sustain us through a lot. Trust me, I know."
Although Delilah has been a voice of hope for countless listeners over the years, she has endured unimaginable heartbreak behind the scenes.
In 2012, her 16-year-old son, Sammy, died from complications related to sickle cell anemia. She lost her 18-year-old son, Zack,to suicidefive years later. Despite the profound losses, the radio host still holds "faith and family" close to her heart.
Delilah is the mother of 15 children, 12 of whom she adopted. She is also a grandmother to 19. Recently, she took custody of three more small children, who are now 5, 6, and 10.
"I remember what it was like when I didn't have faith and my family was falling apart," she tells PEOPLE. "I could barely make it through the day. The pain of life, the pain of loss is too crushing."
Delilah found her faith in her 20s and "all of a sudden, everything changed."
"I know that it's not all on my shoulders. I don't have to figure out the future," she says. "The Almighty holds the future in the palm of his hand. I just have to figure out what I'm gonna do in these 24 hours."
"That changes everything when you take life one day at a time. Taking on the challenges of today and not obsessing about what may or may not happen tomorrow changes everything," theOne Heart at a Timeauthor says.
Her plans for the holidays are to "make it magical for the kids," with stockings, Christmas trees and a huge Thanksgiving dinner.
"Really, for me, that's what the holidays are all about. It's making memories and establishing those traditions for my kids and grandkids," she says.
This year, Delilah told her children they're going to give gifts to others ahead of the holidays, as making crafts is one of their yearly traditions.
"They're cutting the old Christmas cards to make little ornaments. They're going to give gifts to their family members and friends," she says. "They all love their teachers at school, and they're excited to give them something."
In addition to crafting, the radio host will also be offering her words of wisdom, as she has been doing for decades.
Recently, the radio host partnered with Sonos to deliver the "Holiday Party Prep Talk," a one-hour prep talk that hosts can stream onYouTube. Narrated by Delilah, the hour-long chat guides hosts through the process of getting ready for guests to arrive (including reminders to heat the oven!), pairing Delilah's iconic voice with festive melodies.
"This collaboration with Sonos is about focusing on the people that are blessed within your life and making those honest, intimate connections, not about whether or not your candles are lit or your centerpiece looks perfect," Delilah shares.
Whether you're celebrating or grieving, Delilah is there to lend her ear and her voice, and hopefully bring more hope into homes this holiday season.
Read the original article onPeople