What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas?

By: Kathy Marble

What do the lonely do at Christmas is one of those Christmas songs that is played hundreds of times during the Holiday Season. This song is sung beautifully, but if truth be told it is quite sad. The song never answered the question, “What do the lonely do at Christmas”?

The Holiday Season can be hard for some people to navigate. There are many reasons why a person would feel lonely such as the death of a loved one or a recent break up. In a nutshell loneliness is a real and heavy state of being.

In 2004, my mother suddenly passed away. She was an amazing woman. She was not only my mom, but she was also my BFF, my confident, my advisor, and my prayer partner. I believe I am the woman I am today because of the values she instilled in me. My family is close-knit today because of her. Momma made sure that her kids and grandkids were celebrated especially for the holidays. It was not just about the gifts; it was about the love behind everything she did. I knew I could count on my mom to celebrate me, so my first Christmas without her was tough. I was already feeling lonely because she was gone; but the holiday season made it worse.

For me to make it through the season I surrounded myself with the love of my family and friends. I watched movies that would make me laugh and I laughed a lot. I did things that I enjoyed like going to Christmas Plays, going to church and bowling. Did I still struggle? Yes, but not as much as I would have if I continued to concentrate on how much I was missing my mom. I made it through the holidays that year and every holiday since. Now I celebrate her memories more that I mourn the loss of her presence. You can make it through these holidays; but you must do it on purpose.

So, “What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas”? We….

• Start new Christmas traditions.
• Do something special and unique. Something you really enjoy.
• Laugh a lot. Laughter has a way of changing your mode.
• Journal. Journaling can be therapeutic.
• Help someone or volunteer somewhere.
• Adopt an attitude of gratitude. Do not concentrate on what you do not have. Be thankful and grateful for what you do have.

So, what will you do this holiday season?