It’s bewildering enough that the holiday season is here again so quickly.  It’s an even stranger feeling to hit the holiday season and feel . . . sad.

First holidays without a loved one are tough and emotional. 

The holidays are supposed to be about spending time with family and friends, and making memories that will last forever. Many of my peers haven’t had this realization yet, but we all eventually – and sadly – do. It’s these memories that stick with us. I remember going to my grandmother’s house to find her in the kitchen, baking the holiday treats she would share with family members. Even when it wasn’t any sort of holiday, she would always be in the kitchen and be making something for someone to enjoy. 

My grandmother passed away in June 2014, and it was her passing that made an impact on my life. The first holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas weren’t the same without us going to her house and watching her bake and cook and do all these lovely things. I say it was even harder on my mother, since it was the first Thanksgiving and Christmas without either of her parents.

And here we are again. It’s another holiday season, and my family has had another loss. My grandfather on my dad’s side passed away this month. The loss is fresh and hurts even more during this time of year that’s meant for family.

My point isn’t to drag you down with some depressing story. My point here is that we don’t really cherish the times that we get to spend with our loved ones until they’re gone. We don’t realize how special these moments are until it’s too late and we can’t do anything about it.

It’s hard for some people to understand the scope of how hard these holidays without our family members are until they’re in the same position. To make the most out of this time of year, we should spend as much time as possible with our family members. It might be the same old holiday, the same old traditions, the same old everything, but we don’t notice the value of “same old” until it’s gone.