These stories were originally written to highlight problems that occur during the holiday season. It was intended to reveal students’ struggles with separations at this time.

These separations include divorce, two different religious beliefs, distance – anything that would cause conflict over the holiday season.

However, in all of these instances, there were no major issues that stood out. I asked question after question, but I couldn’t find a problem that made it too difficult for friends and family to have a happy holiday.

Instead, I found a common theme in all of these stories, that they made it work. Even when the odds were stacked against them or it would not seem to work out, it did.

It just goes to show that holidays are all about being together, and maybe if we can be unified for this one time, it can be a step toward solving some of the other hardships we face in this world. But that’s a whole separate issue that I won’t attempt to tackle yet.

I realize there are still struggles over the holidays, but sometimes we just have to overlook those and focus on what truly matters, which is family and being together. We have to see what the bright side is in the circumstances we are given.

Of course, it may not be the easiest thing to do, but to appreciate something, we have to try first.

May everyone have the happiest of holidays. After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.