It seems that the general consensus this year is that 2016 had kind of sucked. We've lost a lot of influential celebrities and the election was an interesting turn of events. It seems everywhere you look theres another crisis somewhere in the world. It's been a very dark year.

For me personally, the holidays is usually of time of tremendous joy. Everyone seems to forget our differences for a period of time and we all try to shower our friends and family with gifts and well needed time together.

The atmosphere everywhere you go is cheerful. The Christmas lights twinkle like stars and everyone seems to have a smile on their face. Everywhere you look there are people in love and happy. It's truly a beautiful time of year.

Unfortunately for me, this holiday season has been very depressing to say the least. I'm spending the holidays without some people in my life for the first time in years or the first time at all. I've experienced heartbreak a lot this year and it's been hard for me to look past my own pain to enjoy one of my favorite times of year.

I know that it's not just me who is going through this. Everyone loses people and everyone breaks up with a significant other. Even so, not having those people in your life around the holidays is weird.

I go to buy my Grandma a gift and remember that this is the first year I won't be seeing her for Christmas. I see a movie my boyfriend and I used to watch and I realize that we won't watch it together anymore. Everywhere I look things around me seem to remind me of the people no longer significantly in my life.

To the people who have experienced a form of heartbreak this year, remember that this time of year is about appreciating the people who are in your life now. The people who have stuck by your side through deaths and break ups and global catastrophes that scare us to our core. The people who let us cry in their arms and who make us forget the mind blowing pain we're in, even if just for a little while.

I find it hard sometimes to remember that, and I constantly have to remind myself that despite the pain I'm dealing with I am lucky to be where I am. The heartbreak we feel over the course of our lives helps us grow as a person. I would do anything to bring my Grandma back and to be with the person that I love but that's just not how my life is supposed to be.

So instead I'm trying to focus on the amazingly kind and strong people who have been there to help me pick up the pieces of my life. Instead of wallowing in my own depression, I seek out people to share my time with so I can show them how much they mean to me.

No matter what we go through, the holidays are a perfect time to escape our realities and to focus on others. Whether it's helping homeless people or families in need, or spending time with family and friends.

It's not easy to do, but it helps ease the pain. Even for a little while.