Holidays are supposed to be times filled with your family and spending time around the ones you love. They're supposed to be filled with fun and laughter and joy echoing throughout the house. For some families, the only thing echoing throughout the house is silence.

Families grieve differently, but one thing that is a common theme: holidays aren't the same without the ones you love. My grandpa passed at the end of September, needless to say, the holiday season following was different, and no holiday has been the same. For many people, this is the case, and it rarely gets any easier.

It's hard gathering around the table with everyone and having that sinking feeling that someone is missing. The empty seat at the table is just a painful reminder that someone can't be home for the holidays. While everyday tasks seem impossible to get through, the holidays are even worse.

Throughout my life, my holidays went from three huge tables filled with people laughing and kids running around, to a single table with a few people who popped in throughout the afternoon. It's a tough pill to swallow that the big table dwindles throughout the years. No matter what the scenario, it's a tough way to spend the holidays.

This holiday season, give thanks and appreciation for the ones you do have in your life. Let your younger cousins annoy you, help your grandparents with the dishes, let your mom criticize your outfit before leaving for church, argue with your siblings over something silly. Be thankful for those around you, because you never know what holiday will be their last.