Heartbreak & Holidays: Kelsey Anderson's Emotional Christmas After Joey Graziadei Split Rumors

The Bachelor's Kelsey Anderson spent Christmas with Joey Graziadei and family, but she also felt heartbroken over a loss in her life. Kelsey and Joey fell in love during The Bachelor season 28. Unfortunately, despite attempts to prove how much they love each other, Kelsey and Joey's critics still think they won't get married at all. The Bachelor stars have been fending off backlash over various aspects of their relationship, including their early money issues and lavish lifestyle, and a major disagreement they had regarding which state to live in after Joey competed in Dancing With The Stars season 33.

Kelsey paid tribute to her late mother for Christmas by opening up on TikTok about Denise Anderson's birthday being on Christmas Eve. The Bachelor winner shared a video from what ended up being her mom's last birthday in 2017 that showed Denise surrounded by loved ones. Kelsey added a caption noting that a bunch of family members traveled there to celebrate the big day "in case it was the last one we had with her." The video montage showed everyone laughing and having a good time together, and Denise blowing out her birthday candles after the guests sang "Happy Birthday."

Kelsey said that she would always remember her mother's final birthday "and how much love filled the room." On the day she posted this video, she and her family were marking seven years since that day. Despite this being a heartbreaking day for her, Kelsey has chosen to celebrate the "great times" they had together. She finished her message by telling her followers to spend time with their own families, "share stories, laugh and be patient" because no one knows when a loved one will pass away.

What Kelsey Anderson’s Beautiful Christmas & Birthday Tribute To Mom Means

Kelsey Had A Strong Bond With Her Mother

The bond Kelsey had with her mother was clearly very strong. Family is such a huge part of her life, which was evident when she took Joey home to meet them on The Bachelor, which is when her father Mark Anderson became a breakout star in the franchise, kicking off speculation about a spot for him on either The Golden Bachelor or The Golden Bachelorette. He ended up joining the latter, but Joan Vassos sent him home during week 5, and now it appears that he's dating One Tree Hill star Barbara Woods.

It wasn't just Kelsey who lost her mother; Mark also lost his wife, so she wants her father to experience all the happiness in the world, including finding a new partner he can spend the rest of his life with. Christmas Eve will, unfortunately, be their annual reminder of Denise's passing. It's also an opportunity to reflect and share stories about her to keep her memory alive.

Our Take On Kelsey Anderson’s Christmas & Birthday Tribute To Mom

Kelsey Plans To Focus On Happy Memories

Unless someone has lost a parent or spouse, it's hard to truly understand what Kelsey and Mark have experienced over the past seven years since Denise's final birthday and Christmas Eve. It's great that they have this footage to look back on every year and see the smile on Denise's face while she's surrounded by loved ones. That's how they will continue to cherish her, by focusing on the positives and the happy memories instead of the disease and the heartbreak that resulted from it.