@retiredteacher the holidays, as you say, are not happy times for everyone. This year my husband and I will be alone for Christmas. My son will be going to his in-law’s and coming for a visit on the 28th for a few days. My daughter and her husband decided since our son will not be getting here until then that they will wait until then also. My kids know that I am not a demanding mother and I would never put them on a guilt trip so that makes life easier for them. Sure, I wish they would be here but we will see them eventually.
Carol, I love that you use the time to give to a needy child and donate to food banks. I always make a monetary donation to the Food Bank. I did volunteer work there for a while so it’s a charity that I feel close to. One year when it was just us and our daughter, my daughter and I wanted to serve at the Food Kitchen but my husband did not want to so we stayed with him.
I think in this time of joy and spirituality that it is especially important to remember those less fortunate, whether simply from a secular standpoint, since it is a time of “goodwill” or from a spiritual standpoint. If I knew someone who would be alone I would love to share our meal with them - I will cook a nice holiday dinner.
JK