It was last night. Alan, Aaliyah, and I were watching an old movie and enjoying a nice dinner that was cooked by Aaliyah. Once the movie was over, we saw that Alan became a little quiet. Both Aaliyah and I wondered if it was the ending of the movie or something else that was bothering him. 

“What happened?” I asked. “The first time I watched this movie was when I was in high school with my entire family. I am missing them. Time flies and it feels like yesterday! You know Bob, I wish I could run right now to see them!” He replied. 

Staying away from our family is not easy. It especially gets more difficult when certain movies or activities bring back sweet memories. We all get emotional. Alan was missing his family a lot last night. Indeed, being surrounded by our loved ones feels great! 

“Alan, I can understand. Stay with us now, it always helps when you have good company during such times!” I replied. 

“What do you do when you feel this way?” He asked. 

“Well, I call them up and have a heart-to-heart conversation. Then I do some activities that I would have done if they were around! That immediately uplifts my mood. I also ask my friends to come over and cherish the bond that I have here,” I expressed.  

“So this will help?” He asked. “You can give it a try! There are no rules but, staying connected to our close ones here helps!” I replied. 

“Okay, thanks, Bob! And, the first thing I will do tomorrow morning will be calling my parents up,” He replied. 

He was about to leave when the doorbell rang. “So late? Who’s it?” I asked. Aaliyah. She smiled and opened the door. It was Mrs. Bradley! 

“Hello everyone! Aaliyah just told me that you were down, Alan and so I got you some cookies to cheer you up!” She said. 

Alan’s face immediately lit up. “What would I do without you all? Thanks for always making it feel like home!” He expressed. Then we all enjoyed cookies with ice cream. We were happy to see Alan smiling. 

Nothing in the world can replace the love and warmth of our family. However, when you have ‘major missing’, the best way to deal with it is to make sure you are not alone. That makes us feel better and stay a lot more positive! Try and see. Hope it helps!