I find that around the holiday season I get somewhat melancholy. The season has a way of bringing to the surface all sorts of emotions, and amplifying those emotions. If you are alone, you are more lonely. If you are poor, you feel more poor. If you are old, you feel more elderly. If you loss someone during the year, the first holiday without them is the hardest. If you are in a difficult relationship there is no way you want to break-up during the holidays and spend it alone.Each year, I think about those who are unfortunate without family, without homes, with ill health because I know that they are feeling more vulnerable now more than any other holiday.Giving and receiving gifts is a wonderful tradition, although this holiday season is more than that, it is a christian holiday. But even if you're not christian you can adapt this holiday in the spirit of giving and receiving gifts with having more meaningful and thoughtful giving or being with family.My most precious memory of Christmas was the fact that my siblings came home for the holidays. The house although quite small could always accommodate another person. People would talk about their year, and it always sounded so exciting to be off living and working away from home. Laughter and crying filled the living room. Lot of hugs, teasing, joking, and general merriment burst through the halls.It really was not about the gifts for me, being poor we got gifts but never any extravagance. It was more about being with family, and well the food. Of course no sooner the holiday had began there would be some family drama, but that was par for the course. But nothing was more important than the Christmas dinner, with all of its trimmings.Childhood memories are so precious, and I think it is those memories which we measure our current holidays. If it does not measure up, it leads to disappointment and disenchantment during the holidays. Particularly for those who find themselves in unfortunate circumstances. So if it is all about the gifts for you, take a moment and imagine not having family around during this season.