How many of us really know our neighbors?  I know that I don’t know any of them, sharing a hello in passing is the only exchange that we experience.   I am sure that I am not the only one who has experienced this. I am also sure that I am not the only person that is bothered by this.  It can lead to a sense of loneliness and isolation that is hard to cope with.  Compound this with being far away from any friends or family and the feelings of isolation, and loneliness can grow to depression and affect quality of life of the individual.

Upon considering the matter, I have come to the conclusion that I must come up with some way for other students and individuals in my area to attempt to alleave the sense of loneliness that often accompanies the onset of the holiday season.   I thought on several different avenues that could be followed to reach my goal, but the one that I have settled on is a community potluck. 

                The basis for a potluck is to invite every neighbor and friend that you can get ahold of, and encourage them to each bring a dish of food to add together and create a massive multicultural feast for everyone to share and enjoy.  It also serves to give everyone in the neighborhood or community the chance to get to meet and know their neighbors that up to this time may never have had the chance to meet any of their neighbors. 

With a support system of friends, an individual can beat back the feelings of isolation and loneliness and prosper far from home, even when things begin to get tough.  

My Grandfather was the patriarch of my entire family, being a hard man and having served as a district attorney in my home county of Dewitt for over forty years he earned a tremendous amount of respect from his family and many other families in the community.  Due to this, any arguments or animosity that was held amongst my family was held at bay in order to avoid his wrath and brimstone as it were.  With this hierarchy in place our family worked together and prospered, had family reunions, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter get togethers just like any other family during these times of year.

                About ten years ago my Grandfather passed away, with no will and no directions for how his estate was to be divided.  At this moment, everything changed, the entire family was thrown into a bitter and greed filled fight that lasted until just this last year.  The chain of events, that are too many to describe here, left my family in shambles.  

                As to the effect of my extended family, I know very little.  We have long since cut ties, but for my immediate family the effects have been dramatic.  Being a single parent household, the cost of fighting an estate battle was very expensive.  We spent many Christmases just enjoying the gift of spending time together, because there was no money for extravagant presents to share.  Before too long, my brother parted ways from our family due to a severe disagreement that was only made worse by the stress from a lack of funds that we had at our disposal.   

                This last May I found out that my Fiancé and I are due to become parents; our son will be here the beginning of January.  At the sound of this my Mother, a very strict woman, was so disappointed in me that she has cut ties as well, leaving me with no family for the holidays, except for that of my fiancé’s.  Although I know I will enjoy spending time with my in-laws during the upcoming holidays, the absence of my own family is already weighing heavy on me.  These chains of events has really driven home how important it is to cherish every moment that a person is blessed to have with their family and loved ones. 

As of now I am focusing on preparing for the arrival of my son and trying to make my fiancé as comfortable as possible.  By keeping my mind on the huge positive change that is quickly approaching, I can overlook the loneliness that would likely otherwise overshadow a time of year that is meant to be spent being merry and spreading joy. When my son is old enough to appreciate the holidays, I will make sure that he will never know what it is like not to have a loving family to cherish him and smother him in love and kisses.