Wearing matching red pajamas and Santa slippers; a teddy bear in hand, wrapped in a soft green blanket.

     The christmas tree is lit with bright lights and covered in homemade ornaments. The fireplace is on and warms the whole house. From the window, white snow falls on the road creating a literal white christmas. Yet, a child is holding a present, staring out the window in search of the one person who isn’t coming home this Christmas.

     Celebrating the holidays without loved ones can be a hard situation to overcome. Holidays can create endless memories; some believe the key to a happy holiday is to celebrate with family and friends. Many people have the luxury of enjoying the end of the year with loved ones by their side, but others find themselves waiting around for an absent loved one.

     For freshman Aidan Trusky, he is lucky enough to spend the holidays with family.

     “My favorite holiday memory was from last year, it was when we went to a sledding hill with my older cousins and my cousins from Nashville,” Trusky said. “The hill was huge and we went very fast on it.”

     Trusky has spent every Christmas at a family member’s house, spending quality time with all of his family and enjoying their presence. Even though he has spent every year with the same people, he still feels the same amount of excitement to see them.

     “My favorite part of the holiday is seeing all of my family,” Trusky said. “I personally really enjoy the company of my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.”

     Trusky has never had anyone missing from his holiday celebration, but he understands the importance of everyone being there and the impact a person may have on the holiday.

     “My advice to someone who doesn’t have a loved one to celebrate with [them] would be to think of those [around you] who make you happy in life,” Trusky said.

     Sophomore Luke Menzies spends the holidays missing family that he wishes could celebrate with him.

     “I would like to see my family that lives in Minnesota; my Aunt Jill and Uncle Bill,” Menzies said. “It’s very hard for them to come down and visit, but when they do, it’s really nice.”

    Menzies didn’t realize the impact that his family members have on his Christmas experience until they weren’t able to come.

    “I’ve learned that even though they get on my nerves and annoy me, I️ shouldn’t take my time with them for granted,” Menzies said.

    Even though Menzies might not be able to see his aunt and uncle face to face, he still finds alternative ways to keep in touch.

    “Even though they aren’t always here, I try and talk to them via facetime or a simple call,” Menzies said. “I try to keep them close and when they are here, I make sure to spend time with them.”

    Menzies understands the struggle of distant relationships with family during the holidays, but senior Briana Pinto knows the true meaning of celebrating without a loved one.

    “[If I could celebrate the holidays with anyone] I would spend it with my cousin, Kyrie, because she always made the holidays so happy,” Pinto said.

    Pinto’s cousin, Kyrie, passed away from a car accident in 2010. Since then, her death has left a gap in the hearts of her family.

    “It’s been really hard for my family and it always feels like something’s missing around the holidays,” Pinto said. “We cherish those moments a lot more now.”

    Over the years, Pinto’s focus has changed on what she finds important during Christmas time.

    “Through the years, the holidays have become

less focused on gifts and more about quality time with family,” Pinto said.

    Pinto has learned how significant her family is to her and the impact of losing a loved one.

    “I’ve learned that you should spend as much time with the people you care about as you can because you never know when they’ll be gone,” Pinto said.

    Pinto advises those celebrating without loved ones to always look on the bright side.

    “As hard as it is without them there, try to remember the memories you have with them and look back with happiness instead of sadness,” Pinto said.

       For those struggling during the holiday season, know that there are ways to help one’s experience feel less lonely. One might appreciate what they have, and be grateful for what’s in front of them. Get away from looking out the window and open up to see what’s behind the foggy glass.