Tis the season to be jolly. But for 55-year-old businesswoman and divorcee Jennifer*, the year-end festivities are both a blessing and a burden.

Jennifer, who did not want to be identified for this story, said: “I am fortunate to have my extended family and friends. But these social gatherings sometimes worsen my sense of loneliness because they remind me of a time when I once had a happy and complete family.”