This special edition of The Wrangler‘s weekly feature “How to Survive” will address the upcoming holiday season in light of the recent events in Europe, Asia, and all over the world.

This year, the holiday season will have a bit of a damper on it.

In light of the Paris attacks, the Syrian refugee situation, and the countless other news stories swirling around (drought, el niño, terrorism), celebrations may be toned down this year. Nobody could have foreseen the events that would occur, but now that fate has deemed such evil so, we should take these awful actions into account into our hearts and lives.

From a completely non-sarcastic standpoint, a couple of ways you can survive and help others survive the holidays include…

1) Making or buying food for someone (or several someones).

Whether it be your neighbors or your family, your classmates or someone random on the street, make it a point to extend your gratitude or appreciation towards those who have affected your life. Food is a central point in American society today, to the point where it is almost considered a love language. Whether it is your way of expressing affection or not, a simple way to respect other human beings is to provide a basic need for a short period of time. Make cookies or pies, or help prepare a meal or two to express your thanks.

2) Putting thought into the gifts you give.

To be quite honest, it’s tempting to wait until Christmas Eve to buy gifts and then ransack the nearest Target’s dollar section (like I have so many times). But giving gifts is an accurate way to interpret exactly how much you care for someone. Whether you blow your savings on a gift for one special person, or you spend your time making a homemade trinket, always remember that the holiday season is the perfect opportunity to express love to the ones around you. It’s only up to you how much love you shower on someone.

3) Spend time.

Lauren Bui (9) states that “you can be thoughtful [during the holiday season] by spending quality time with [other people].” To put it simply: spend time with the ones you love–and even the ones you don’t necessarily like. Live every moment, even past the holiday season, like it is your last. Because, quite frankly, you don’t know–you don’t know if it’s your last moment to live, or your mom’s last moment, or your stepsister’s cousin’s weird uncle’s grand-niece’s last moment. Human life is a gift. Never waste your waking breath, and always treasure everyone else’s.

Keep these things in mind as you venture out into a world that is both dangerous and heartwarming, beautiful and broken.