We describe Christmas as the season to be merry and jolly.
It brings joy and excitement to everyone. Every corner in the street or your home scream Christmas – lights, decors, and music. Plus, the gifts, clothes, and all that food make everyone look forward to it.
However, this is not true for all people. Some feel lonely during this season.
According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), 64% of people who suffer from mental problems like depression feel it worsens during the holidays.
They also saw a pattern of Major Depressive Disorder during this season, even among those with no mental illness.
People experience depression over the holidays for various reasons.
All the holiday gatherings may be fun to most people, but some feel a lot of pressure during these times and are even more anxious with all the social interactions.
Others who are away from home feel a heightened sense of loneliness, while others feel the utmost sadness when a loved one recently passed away, especially if this is their first Christmas without them.
George Dowling was once thrilled about the holidays until his wife passed away.
Lucille, his wife of 70 years, loved Christmas so much and was one of those people who put up the tree right after Thanksgiving.
However, in 2013, she passed away a month before the holidays.
He couldn’t deal with all the heartbreak and loneliness; he had to take down all the Christmas decorations that year.
For years, George is at his loneliest during Christmas because it reminds him so much of his wife.
His daughter, Suzan Brito, thought of a way to cheer his father up.
She thought of a yearly tradition wherein she asked people to send Christmas cards to her father.
George loved it and was always excited to receive mail, and the Christmas cards were a perfect thought.
However, George only received 14 cards last year compared to the previous years.
This wasn’t enough to carry him through the holiday season.
Suzan planned to step it up this year with the help of her daughter, Charlene Fletcher, and the power of social media.
But unlike the previous years when Suzan would post on Facebook, Charlene posted the request on TikTok.
Catering to a new audience worked for them this year as Christmas cards started pouring in.
People from different places sent heartwarming and touching greeting cards; some shared how they also dealt with Christmas after losing a loved one.
Charlotte’s post went viral that it caught the attention of different media outlets, and this even widened their reach, and more Christmas cards were mailed their way.
As of December 24, George has already received 26,778 cards and counting.
Charlotte updates the count daily, while Suzan opens the mailbox and counts them each day, and George reads them while he can.
They’ve received cards since November 28 with at least 73 and at most 2,265 cards a day!
Charlene even said they would probably need more boxes to store all the cards!
Want to send George a card? Check their address in this post. Spread the love and share this post with those who need some cheering up!
People, Suzan Brito Facebook, Charlene Fletcher Facebook
