“We’re separating.”

I stared up from my Cracker Barrel biscuit as my mom took a sip of water.

“That was casual,” I said.

“There’s nothing to say — you know why.”

I did know why. My stepfather had been unemployed for two years. When he and my mother separated in 2009, she allowed him to move back into our house under the condition that he maintained a stable job. Two years into his job as a mortuary transport driver, he quit due to stress. Now, in 2013, three weeks before Thanksgiving, I had a remarkable sense of deja vu.

My stepfather is a decent man. He loves my mom and he’s never hurt her. It is truly strange to think, though, that this holiday season, he won’t be around.

This is awfully invasive of your personal life, you may think. But it’s necessary because amidst the Christmas wishes and the smell of baked hams and pies, there is an undertone that needs to be acknowledged: Someone near you won’t be celebrating. That’s something I didn’t think about a lot until I considered problems within my own family.

There are children who don’t receive gifts, who don’t get a warm meal and spend many years like Billy in “The Polar Express” — Santa doesn’t care about me because he never visits. There is no higher power because he wouldn’t let me live like this. There are people who will be living on the streets, under bridges and in parks. Christmas will be just another day to them. Another day of “What will I eat?” and “How will I survive?”

Whether people are homeless or alone or just dealing with family issues, there is someone close to you that you can help. Christmas cheer is something that should always be remembered, and there’s no greater time than the holidays to spread the love, as sappy as that may sound.

Invite someone over for a holiday meal. Make someone a gift that you know they would appreciate. Send your grandmother a card. Call your aunt. Visit the pediatric suites in the hospital. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. There are countless ways you can make someone’s Christmas holiday special without spending money — it really is the thought that counts.

We’re in college and some of us are starting to make our own traditions and start our own families. Make helping others part of that tradition. Helping others isn’t just something you did for extra credit in high school or that you’re required to do for a class. Showing empathy can change a person’s attitude about the way they see a holiday for the rest of their lives. When the new year rolls around make sure you can be proud that you helped someone in need during a significant time. Be someone’s angel.

Remember them.