Please Check In on Family and Friends Who May Be Hurting Or Alone During the Holidays – December 23, 2019

My sister is having her first Christmas without her husband. He died last month. She has two daughters, four grandchildren, and our two brothers nearby as well as other friends and family. I had two friends who lost family members in the last 24 hours. One lost his wife and the other lost a great-nephew. Both of them have family and friends to help them get through this first Christmas. However, others may not be so fortunate.

Having spent many Christmas Days without family or friends close by and suffering from Bipolar Depression I, it can be hard. In my case, it doesn’t help that my closest family hates using the phone. This year I am getting a Christmas present from a church member who is taking me to see my daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. While 45 – 50 miles may not seem far, on a bicycle it’s not that close for someone like me who finds a 5 – 8 mile ride taxing. The last few years I have been able to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas Day with friends.

If you have family or friends who you think or know may be hurting or going to be alone, try to include them in activities if you can. At a minimum, check on them, call or text them. Same if you have people in the hospital. I haven’t been hospitalized over Christmas or another big day, but it was always nice to have a friend or family member visit. I do hospital visits if I know someone is in the hospital. I even go to funerals to be supportive of those who have lost loved ones even if the loved one was my friend and I didn’t know the family very well.

There are many ways you can show support – choose the ones you are comfortable doing. That’s true not just during Christmas, Thanksgiving, or other big days. There are some people if I don’t see them in a while, I know to check on them.