Yep, getting older kinda sucks. Especially with the holidays. Doesn't help that my mother and wife's mother both passed in Dec (years apart). One of my two brothers is gone and one of my wife's two brother-in-laws has passed. With kids and grandkids scattered around the country, what used to be a group of 20 is now down to 5.

PS I like the charity idea. St Jude's is one we've donated regularly to over the years. We always did pot lucks for family dinners.