For many this simply isn't, "the most wonderful time of the year" as the song suggests.  Instead, the holiday season can bring sad reminders of the loss of a friend or loved one.  People out of work may feel isolated from their employed friends and family.  And people who suffer from loneliness can feel even more alone.

This vicious cycle of loneliness can be self-perpetuating, and it can be contagious.  So says an article on msnbc.com about the recent study out from Harvard, The University of Chicago and the University of California-San Diego which suggests that people who are feeling lonely influence those around them to also feel that way.  As friends and acquaintances continue to doubt their social skills and friend-worthiness they move apart not only from each other but also from people in general.

So what can you do if you are feeling lonely now or any other time?  Researchers suggest that you recognize loneliness as a biological reaction to the human need for relationship.  Loneliness is not a personality trait.  And you can overcome it.  But it takes work.  To have a friend you have to be a friend.  You have to recognize that you are someone of value who has something of value to offer another person. Quantity doesn't matter.  One true friend with whom you can share your heart or mind with is better than 4,000 Facebook friends with whom you have little in common other than a web address.

Jane Nation was designed to help women going through life transitions find other women in the same boat so neither feels alone.  As we head into 2010, it is our hope that more women will find friendship both inside and outside our community.