A Holiday Message: You’re Not Alone This Season
The holidays can be beautiful, full of lights, traditions, and moments that bring people together. But they can also be complicated, emotional, or unexpectedly heavy. For many young adults, December arrives with mixed feelings: excitement layered with stress, joy blended with uncertainty, and the pressure to appear cheerful even when things feel hard.
If you’ve ever felt out of place during the holidays, or if this season feels different from years past, this message is for you.
You are not alone, not today, not this week, not this season.
It’s Okay if the Holidays Feel Different This Year
Life changes quickly. A year can bring new relationships, breakups, moves, losses, growing pains, and shifting family dynamics. Even positive changes can make familiar traditions feel unfamiliar.
You may be grieving someone.
You may be healing from something.
You may be navigating a relationship that feels confusing.
You may be trying to find your place in your family or outside of it.
You may simply feel tired from the pressure of being “on” all the time.
The holidays don’t pause real life; they arrive right in the middle of it. It’s okay if you’re not feeling festive. It’s okay if you don’t know how to name what you’re feeling. It’s okay if all you have to give this year is honesty.
Your Feelings Are Valid — All of Them
Joy does not cancel out sadness. Excitement does not cancel out anxiety. Gratitude does not cancel out loneliness.
Human emotions rarely travel in a straight line, and the holidays tend to magnify that reality. You can feel grateful and overwhelmed at the same time. You can laugh with people you love and still sense something heavy inside you.
You don’t have to explain your feelings this season. You don’t have to justify them. They are valid simply because you’re experiencing them.
If You’re Feeling Lonely, You’re Not the Only One
Despite how crowded this time of year appears on social media, loneliness is extremely common during the holidays, especially for young adults.
You might be:
Physically alone while others gather
Emotionally alone even in a full room
Missing someone you used to celebrate with
Far from friends who understand you
In a complicated relationship that feels isolating
Whatever the reason, loneliness is not a personal failure. It doesn’t mean you’re forgotten or unimportant. It means you’re human, and you’re carrying something that deserves gentleness.
You Deserve Safety, Peace, and Rest
If you’re spending time with family and feeling overwhelmed, remember that you’re allowed to take breaks, go for a walk, step outside for a moment of air, or reach out to a friend who feels safe.
If you’re facing a situation that feels emotionally or physically unsafe, you deserve support and compassion. You can explore guidance for staying grounded and planning ahead here.
You don’t need to navigate complicated emotions or situations on your own.
Connection Looks Different for Everyone
Connection doesn’t only happen around a crowded table.
It can be:
a quiet text from someone who cares
a late-night call with a friend
a moment of clarity in a journal
a walk that helps you breathe easier
a small tradition you create just for yourself
You are allowed to build the kind of holiday that feels gentle and manageable for you.
A Message From Us to You
The Gabby Petito Foundation was built on compassion, awareness, and the belief that every person deserves safety, support, and understanding, especially during moments that feel complicated.
Wherever you are this holiday season — physically or emotionally — we want you to know this:
You matter. Your story matters. Your safety matters.
And even on the heaviest days, you are not moving through this season alone.
If you need grounding, resources, or a moment of reassurance, we hope you’ll return to this message as often as you need.
Wishing you peace, comfort, and connection in whatever form feels right for you.
