The holiday season, while often portrayed as joyful with decorations and gatherings, is a time when not everyone feels happy or has loved ones to celebrate with. Some find this time especially challenging.
During the holidays, emotions can be mixed. Memories, whether joyful or painful, feel stronger. This time may remind us of those we've lost or highlight what is missing, making loneliness more intense.
Many people quietly carry grief or emotional challenges at this time. Reaching out is important, especially now. While people struggle behind busy lives, small acts of care let them know they are seen. Choosing kindness in stressful moments touches those carrying unseen burdens. The holidays, at their heart, are about connection and compassion. Reaching out not only makes a difference for others but also for ourselves. The Hidden Pain Behind the Holiday Season Many believe the holidays are the happiest time of year. In reality, for some, this season is the hardest. Their pain may go unseen, and their sadness may go unheard, but these feelings are very real. Some people are spending their first holiday without a loved one. Some are spending their tenth holiday without them, and the pain still stings. Some families are separated, broken, or distant. Some people have no family at all. Many face extra challenges during the holidays. Some struggle with depression or anxiety, made worse by holiday pressures. Others worry about finances or carry emotional scars that don't fade this time of year. Some who appear happy on the outside may struggle privately. Pain can hide behind a smile, a joke, or a busy routine. Even when their surroundings are cheerful, they may feel disconnected. By reaching out, you remind others they are not forgotten—even if you never know who needed it most.
Sometimes the quietest people are carrying the loudest pain. Why Love Matters More Than Ever In a world full of conflict, division, and disconnection, love is more important than ever. Amid anger, judgment, and the noise of life, it's easy to overlook others' needs. But real love cuts through all of that. Love is powerful. Love is healing. Love is human. And love is needed. You don’t have to be rich, perfect, or extraordinary to spread love. You just have to care. You just have to be willing to show up.
When you extend love to someone—even in small ways—it can shift their entire day. Sometimes, it can shift their entire life. Every act of kindness creates a ripple. One moment of compassion can inspire someone else to be kind, which can inspire another person, and so on. You may never see all the effects, but the impact is real. A better world begins with choosing kindness, connection, and love in our own actions. And that starts with us. What It Really Means to Extend Yourself Extending yourself simply means showing care—small acts matter most. You don’t have to solve others’ problems, take on their pain, or exhaust yourself.
Extending yourself means taking small, thoughtful steps beyond your usual habits to show you care. It can be as simple as: Sending a quick “Thinking of you” message Asking someone how they are and actually listening Spending a few extra minutes talking with someone who looks lonely Checking in on a friend you haven’t heard from Offering a warm smile to a stranger Inviting someone to join you for a meal or activity Donating to someone in need Volunteering your time Helping a neighbor in small ways Genuine care matters most. Even tiny gestures can have a huge impact, especially for someone who is hurting. Everyone wants to feel seen. Everyone wants to feel valued. Everyone wants to know they matter. When you extend yourself, you become that reminder for someone.
Presence: The Gift Money Can’t Buy One of the deepest gifts you can give anyone is your true presence—undistracted, attentive, and emotionally available during the holidays or any time.
When you are truly present, people feel it. Presence tells someone: “I see you.” “I care about you.” “You matter to me.” “You’re not alone.” In a busy and rushed world, being fully present is a powerful way to express love. Sit with someone. Listen to their stories. Ask how they are. Be patient. Be gentle. Be there.
Sometimes people don’t need advice, solutions, or answers. They need a safe space to be themselves. They need someone who will not judge them. They need someone who can sit with their emotions without brushing them aside. Presence is love in its simplest and purest form. Choosing Love in a World That Often Chooses the Opposite It sometimes feels like hate spreads faster than love. People argue more than they listen. They divide themselves into groups instead of finding common ground. As a result, many people feel disconnected, unheard, or misunderstood. But love is stronger than hate. It always has been. Kindness is stronger than cruelty. Compassion is stronger than judgment. Connection is stronger than division. Every time you choose love, you make the world a little softer, a little safer, a little brighter. You don’t have to change the whole world. You just have to change the world for one person. And that is more than enough. Small Ways to Extend Yourself
This Holiday Season Simple ways to show care during the holidays include: calling someone you haven’t talked to in a while, inviting a neighbor or coworker for a meal, donating to a local shelter or food bank, sending a note to someone in need of encouragement, offering help to an overwhelmed parent, bringing a meal to someone grieving, or spending time with someone elderly who may feel alone. Be kind to service workers who are stressed during the season. Smile at people—it sounds small, but it matters. Little things can become big blessings. Make this season about real connection. Before things get busy with shopping, cooking, and decorating, take a moment to pause, breathe, and reflect. Ask yourself: Who in my life might be hurting right now? Who needs encouragement? Who is lonely? Who do I usually overlook without meaning to? How can I show love, even in a small way? Sometimes extending yourself takes only a minute or a kind message. Even small acts matter.
For someone on the receiving end, those efforts can make a world of difference. This is what makes the difference between going through the holiday season… and being the holiday spirit for someone else. Let This Season Be About Love We live in a world that needs healing. A world that needs gentleness. A world that needs more people willing to care. And the beautiful thing is, we all have the ability to make someone’s season brighter. You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to have everything together. You don’t need to give big gifts. You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need a heart willing to love, A heart willing to reach out, A heart willing to extend itself, even if only a little.
Love is contagious. Kindness is magnetic. Compassion is powerful. The more you give, the more it grows, not just in others but inside you, too. So this season, choose to be the light someone needs. Choose to notice the lonely. Choose to speak gently. Choose to slow down. Choose to be present. Choose to care. Choose love. Not just in your words, but in your actions. Because the world already has enough chaos, stress, and division. What it needs, and what people need, is more love, more compassion, and more connection.
Let each of us choose to extend love, compassion, and connection this season. Small acts can become the heart of the holiday spirit.
