Honors College Art & Science of Emotions Fall 2017 (1:20 p.m.) Sadness Journal | Page 9

that much autonomy over our lives. Instead, we just do what is expected of ourselves and decide to con-
form because it will ultimately reduce the negative sanctions others pass on to us. Most of the time
though, we do want to see our family during the holidays. Living in a different state for either school or
work is something that is common and can cause us to feel sad. Knowing your family is together and
you’re stuck somewhere else causes sadness. Another reason you might be alone on the holidays is because
your children have grown into adults and now have their own family. This is especially challenging for old-
er people, since their adult children have to balance time between both sides of their family. Knowing that
your parents are going to spend time alone on the holidays is sad. This is an especially tough thing to deal
with because you don’t want anyone to be alone on the holidays, especially not
your own parents. The other reason someone could be alone is be-
cause they don’t have family around. A lot of the men and
women who serve in the armed forces leave family behind
here in the States and can’t come home for the holidays.
A lot of the times, these military families are in states
where they aren’t originally from, meaning they
won’t have family near them. For a lot of military fam-
ilies, they are forced to spend time by themselves, just
wishing that they could be with their loved ones. Family
is a core part of any holiday celebration. This is a double
edged sword. On one hand we want to spend time with the peo-
Being alone during the holidays can be difficult.
ple we love. On the other hand, holidays have just the right amount of
stress to cause family fights. Fighting with people you love is normal, meaning that fights breaking out dur-
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