May you brighten the day for somebody

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Better still, give a gift that could last a lifetime.

Most of us will spend this morning unwrapping presents, swapping jests, telling stories and basking in the warmth that only loving families can generate. Euphoria will linger like a pleasant dream — until it’s time to clean up what used to be the living room.

We might watch Clark make a mess of Christmas all over again and laugh until we hurt, even though every member of the family has pretty much memorized the lines of each Vacation character.

A feast of some kind awaits, of course. A toast to the season, to the satisfaction of unfettered indulgence, to a fine year ahead and the long, exciting climb toward Dec. 25, 2020, when we can do it all over again.

Another Christmas conquered, most of us will go to bed tonight exhausted but happy, reflecting on the most recently imprinted joyful memories.

And most of us will be missing something important.

That’s the rest of us.

The rest of us are those written about recently by Sholeh Patrick and Kim Anderson. The rest of us are simply going to do the very best they can to endure this day, to ward off the worst kind of pain — the pain of loss — felt more acutely during the holidays than perhaps any other time of the year.

When most of us are celebrating, the rest of us are grieving. Most of us have a choice today.

Reach out and connect with someone for whom you know or suspect the joy of Christmas is something else altogether. A few kind words can make a difference. A heartfelt hug can be a gift of far greater value than anything Amazon might deliver.