Invite someone

The “holiday season” is upon us.

In my opinion, Halloween kicks it off followed by

• Thanksgiving

• Christmas

• New Year’s Eve

or whatever holidays you celebrate.

It’s a happy, festive, time for most of us. But not all of us.

Many people are alone over the holidays. For example:

• unmarried people

• senior citizens

• an empty nester couple experiencing their first holiday without their kids at home

• members of our military families

Think about it. A single service member, who may not have the funds to travel over the holidays, or may not have any family to visit, will be left to stay in the barracks and eat at the “chow hall.” How depressing. Would you want your son or daughter sitting in a mostly empty barrack on a major “family” holiday? Of course not.

Now, think broader. Any person who will be alone, on a day when many families are together, is facing the same situation. Of course, they may not be in bland surroundings. They may be in a luxurious townhome or some such thing, but they are still alone.

It may not even be an individual who is “alone,” but families who are without a parent, or grandparents with no family in the area, or young couples who have moved away from family for career opportunities. There are many reason why people may appreciate an invite to dinner, or dessert, or just hang out and watch TV.

Agreed, some people prefer to be alone on the holidays, but most people don’t.

Who can you think of that might be alone this Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, or other holiday? I bet someone just popped into your head!

Won’t you consider inviting them to your house to share in your festivities?

I know, they may not come, but they will appreciate the offer. You might be pleasantly surprised, and they will gladly accept your invitation. But you won’t know unless you ask.

Go ahead, ask them.