Thanksgiving is a day typically spent with family, yet I know of several people who also like to spend it with their closest friends. I guess that’s because some friends are more akin to family. 

Yet during the holiday season, especially given the COVID pandemic, it’s hard to give these friends the thanks they deserve. Some of us go away for the holidays, some visit family or vacation spots, and some are holed up in bedrooms simply trying to power through it all. 

The holiday season can be a tough one for many. With commercials and holiday specials left and right advertising what Christmas or Thanksgiving should be, many are left feeling excluded from the ideals. Social media surely doesn’t help either, as there you can find an infinite feed of manicured pictures detailing the splendors of someone else’s holiday. These things can be hard to live up to. Either your family isn’t so close or your Thanksgiving dinner isn’t so bountiful or the presents under your tree aren’t so grand. There are a million ways to feel left out from all the grandiose. 

On top of that, there is seasonal affective disorder, or better known as seasonal depression. Hitting hardest when the sun is hidden behind clouds, the cheer of holiday weather can actually put a damper on some people’s mental state. In the months between October and January, when one holiday comes after another, the looming clouds can further diminish one’s mindset.

That being said, the holidays aren’t easy and despite what the Hallmark Channel shows, they can also be plain depressing. With there being more distance between you and your loved ones than ever before, please check in on your friends. Whether you can meet their eyes or not, just sending a quick text can mean all the difference. 

COVID doesn’t seem to be going away and it looks like we’ll be isolated from one another for a while longer so in the meantime do what you can. Some of your friends may have a harder time waiting this out during the holiday season. If you are feeling the same sense of desperation many others feel around this time of year, find solace in the ones who, under normal circumstances, you’d be spending the holidays with.