Happy holidays…right? Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year for most people. For others, the holidays are a lonely time and a reminder of lost loved ones.

For me, the holidays are a rough time. I have a very small family, so small I can count my entire extended family on two hands. I am an only child in my immediate family, and the only other child in my extended family is barely a year old. The kids’ table was never a thing in my family, because I would be the only one sitting at it. The idea that some of my peers have over 50 cousins is insane to me.

It takes, at most, two days to finish every family gathering, since we are such a small family. After that, I’m by myself, since my parents both work in hospitals and do not get holidays off. I can not hang out with my friends who are all out of state or still with their families. My neighbors are also busy with visiting their families. So, it ends up being me, my two dogs and three cats.

The holiday season will be especially rough this year, as well, because it is my family’s first Christmas without my grandpa. I was not the closest with my grandpa since I didn’t get to see him very often, but whenever I was with him he would do everything possible to make sure I had fun. This included taking me on golf cart rides and giving me those fake fish baits I loved so much because they were glittery. He also always drove my grandma down to our house to celebrate the holidays so my grandparents wouldn’t have to do all the cooking. This will be the first year my family won’t host Christmas since no one can drive my grandma.

This Christmas will also be other families first time without some of their loved ones. Some might not even have a family to celebrate with or a home to go to.

For those who do have their families to celebrate the holidays with, it still might not be a joyous time. Most people can probably relate to family members asking about school, jobs, relationships or whatever else families ask about. It isdefinitelynotfuntorepeatedlytell your family that, no you are not in a relationship, you don’t have a job yet and how school is still boring.

Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing others get excited for the holidays. The holidays are still filled with so many amazing things like all of the great food, presents and seeing family you don’t get to see often. But the best of all, no school.

All I’m asking is try to remember that not everyone views the holidays the same way and to invite them to celebratewith you. Be a different kind of family for those who don’t have one by bringing them into yours.