Minister of Poetry--Stu, Thanks so much for stopping by!  Always good to get a nice comment from you! I am glad to know you are feeling better!

Doyle,  Thanks so much for your encouraging words to my blogs!

HolySpiritWithin, You know I like smileys!  Thanks for your "Happy" encouragement!

Great to hear from you all.  Thanks for your stars and comments.  I always like to know someone is at least reading the blogs!  Thanks!

Wonderful message and reminder. 
Thanks sis.

Love in Him,

Joanne

Joyful Servant, Thank you so much for taking time to read my blog.  I appreciate the star and comment. I really do. I appreciate the input.

I do feel for those people that may be in a place in life that all of their family is gone for one reason or another (death, divorce, out of town, etc.).  Perhaps their friends are gone, too.  Senior citizens and/or hospitalized people many times are dealing with being alone. We all need human contact, to feel we can chat with someone--but it may be difficult these days  (especially if their loss was recent) to readily make new, true friends--with everyone being so busy, busy, busy!

Those who may be depressed--the depression is probably magnified during this time. It may be difficult to keep up the usual contacts, due to everyone being so preoccupied with the frenzy of activity during the holiday season. 

Bren,  I appreciate your star and comment, too!  Thank you for sharing that you will be alone, due to tests you are scheduled for--and can't leave.  I pray the results of the tests are favorable.  I will pray for blessings for you and that you have good health, joy, and peace in your life.  (Not implying you don't have that now!)  Thanks for sharing!

Cajunbeda, I appreciate your star and comment!  Thanks for your encouraging words concerning my blogs.  As you know, we don't write the blogs for our glory--but the stars and comments do let us know that our blogs are read and that the time we spend writing them is not wasted time.  So, thanks! 

I know you have family that you will spend time with.  I pray that you and your family will have wonderful fellowship and the sharing of much love! 

All of this message rings true. I have a friend who lost her father and got into an arguement with her brother because he chose to go to his wife's family for Christmas instead of staying in the same town with his mom. I always give my daughter in law the option of choosing her family's day and I work around it to keep peace. I don't mind and  it allows me time with my husband who won't go to my son's house. 

My sister is possibly getting laid off and opted to bake cookies for gifts. I watched people on the Fox morning show talking about bad gifts received and I had to watch my anger. That should never never never never be an issue to an adult especially. 

 My son just told me about a family sleeping on the floor in Richmond, no gifts etc and no real items to even use for daily living. We are gathering through freecycle to meet the need of furnishings and mom is going to the store to get food, they have not qualified for assistance yet.and he heard they don't speak English. 

Nice message-juanita

Joanne,

Thank you so much for your comment and star!  I am glad you found the blog a good reminder.

Juanita,

Thanks so much for reading my blog and for your comment and star. I appreciate it.

Unfortunately, there are so many  "expectations" that many go unmet--during this time--it's just a recipe for nerves to be on edge, for depression, and for those who are alone or having trouble--to feel they don't really matter! Unfortunately, many people go through the same type of situations of which you speak.  A lot of anger, a lot of resentment--not all the joy and peace people long for. That is part of the unmet expectations and let down that can lead to depression--along with the bills coming due--after everything settles down. I'm not saying this to be negative.  It's just true.

This is certainly a bad time for your sister to receive the news that she may be laid off from work.  You know, I think she has a wonderful idea, baking cookies to share with other people.  It's special when a person takes the time to lovingly prepare something, by hand,  for others to enjoy. A personal touch,  that takes their time, but does not put them in debt forever. 

Yes, I agree, it's sad people can be so demanding, picky. and critical. I can understand this can be a slap in the face for the person that does their best, with whatever circumstances they are in.  Love should not be measured in the price of a gift or even in the expectation of a gift at all.

I'm sorry about the family your son told you about.  Hopefully their needs will be met. What language do they speak? 

Thank you, Juanita, for taking time to share your thoughts on this blog.  That's what blogs are for!  I hope you and your family have joy and peace during this stressful time!

Denise, Thank YOU for reading the blog and taking the time to leave a comment and a star!  I appreciate you and your encouragement!

Sue, Great to hear from you!  I appreciate the star and comment.  Thank you for stopping by.

May you both continue to have blessings of joy and peace!

I found this quotation of Mother Theresa on the Ambassadors For Jesus online magazine.  It seems a fitting quote to add to this blog about love and loneliness.

There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family.
Find them.
Love them.

Mother Theresa

JUST A REMINDER! The days are getting busier for some and lonely for others!

PLEASE remember, you may not realize how REALLY ALONE some people are--especially the senior citizens!  Remember the widows and orphans. They may not openly tell you that they really are, more or less, virtually ALONE as far as family or really close friends.  It's not that they are just lonely--they really may have lost  family and friends through death or distance--they may be limited physically, geographically, financially, emotionally (hurting), plus other ways--to limit  social contacts to replace those people with. 

Thank God if you have a good, close family and a good circle of close friends/support network.  It's easy to taken it for granted and to forget EVERYONE does not enjoy that.  Please show SINCERE compassion for others--and I'm not meaning bought gifts--I'm meaning time, time and sincerity which is so valuable!

Virginia54,

Thank you for stopping by to read my blog!  I appreciate the star. Please feel free to stop by again to read and/or comment on any of my blogs!  

Now that the holidays are over, many people may feel anxious, guilty, let-down, alone, and depressed. This can be a time "friends and relatives" really might need a friendship network, more than ever.

Please remember that those who were alone during the holidays or those who were already depressed.  They can also have heightened needs until things return to a somewhat normal routine for themselves and their usual "contact base".

Joyful Servant,

Thank you so much for your comment.

It can mean a lot to someone just to know they are not forgotten and that they matter, if you know what I mean.  And I know you do, since you have great insight about so many things!  

Also, if a person is depressed, it's easy to feel that you are the only person feeling that way--not selfishly nor deliberately--it can just feel that way (even though mentally you know you are not--that's not what a person feels emotionally). As you say, after all the "hoop-la" things can seem mighty quiet!

Thank you for all your kind words and your willingness to share your thoughts. This little smiley  illustrates that even animals find comfort in someone taking time to acknowledge it! :)

PandaBear,

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this blog! I appreciate your star and comment.

Yes, we do need to add those who are alone or depressed to our prayers, after the busy, busy, busy holiday time. This time of year there is a risk from SAD, anyway--because of the dark, perhaps gloomy weather.  You are certainly right, PandaBear, there can be a BIG let-down for a lot of people.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Bren,

I hope you got a good report from your doctor's visit!  Just thinking of you.

Thanks for your comment.