Given what I do in life, people often tell me things that they don’t say in social situations or sometimes even to friends and family. This holiday season, I am very aware of how many people are having a really tough time of it. All around there are casual expressions of Happy Hanukah and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. On social media, posts of (apparently) happy families abound. Meanwhile, lots of people are just trying to find a way to get through the holiday season without falling into profound desperation.

So I am not going to say Happy Holidays or Merry anything. Those who are genuinely merry are very lucky. If you’re struggling today, you’re not alone. If you’re grieving someone’s absence, you are not alone. If you’re ill and don’t know how you can manage another year, or even if you’ll have another year, you’re not alone. If you’re broke and looking for work, or working hard and still broke, you’re not alone.

Life is full of challenges. And it’s full of opportunities and the potential for joy. If you are at a point in your life when it feels like the challenges are overtaking everything else, you are not alone.

This holiday season, can we please have the awareness that those around us might be suffering? I won’t say Merry Christmas to anyone today. Instead, I will say: I wish the very best for you. May you receive what you need to heal and thrive in this New Year.