Krissy Weinzierl – LRHS News

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL)- The holidays are considered a joyous occasion to spend time with loved friends and family. For some LRHS students, the holidays cannot be spent with every loved friend or family due to different reasons.

One LRHS senior in particular has a sad reason not to spend the holidays with a beloved family member. Madison Cheri’s grandmother recently passed away.

Times are still rough without her grandma and with Christmas coming up, things won’t get easier. Cheri called her grandma “Mamaw” and feels that without her times are going to be melancholy.

“The holidays will be really hard because you want to spend time with everyone and be happy,” Cheri said, “but when that person isn’t there it’s almost mournful.”

Some luck students don’t have such a tragic reason to be separated from friends and family, but still have to be without them.

Senior Casey McGraw can’t be with his brother during the holidays due to money issues. His brother lives in Los Angeles but cannot be with his family on Christmas because neither he nor his family have the money to bring him to Florida. Without his brother being there for Christmas McGraw feels the holiday will be less enjoyable.

“Part of the family is gone on a family holiday,” he said. “That definitely has a negative affect.”

Mustang senior Nick Beauchamp can’t be with his family during the holidays because they all live in another state. Beauchamp, along with his mother, father, and sister live in Florida. The rest of Beauchamp’s family lives in Boston.

“I’m use to not being with my family now,” he said, “but in the beginning it was terrible spending the holidays without them, especially moving to Florida and not seeing snow anymore.”