“Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Let your heart be light

Next year all our troubles will be out of sight”

So begins the well-known Christmas carol, penned by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 musical “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

The song has endured and changed through the decades because it captures the season’s melancholy while providing glimpses of hopeful resilience. The version that made the film became a hit, capturing the hearts of wartime America and proving popular among soldiers serving in World War II.

The key line in that version, repeated twice, is this:

“Someday soon, we all will be together, if the fates allow

Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow”

To me, this is a powerful statement. The Cambridge Dictionary defines the phrase “muddle through” as “to manage to do something although you are not organized or prepared to do it.” Sometimes this is meant as an insult, but most of the time, it is what we have to do in the face of significant adversity and uncertainty.

Indeed, many of us are just muddling through at the moment. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which for now is still run by responsible individuals who adhere to sound scientific principles, released a report that detailed social isolation and loneliness as widespread problems “posing a serious threat to our mental and physical health.” These symptoms can increase one’s risk for mental illness as well as heart disease and diabetes.

The CDC notes that building small social connections can help. Simple acts such as routinely checking in with and on friends and family members can be beneficial. Joining groups based on shared interests and finding time to help others in need can also reduce isolation and strengthen connections within one’s community.

Of course, policymakers have a role to play. A couple of years ago, podcaster Jon Lovett said Americans are great at “acute empathy.” When someone we know needs help, we typically answer the call. We donate to a GoFundMe, cook an extra meal, and give blood. But we struggle sometimes to support broader interventions that impact people we don’t know. Government has a role to play because it can act on a scale that charity cannot.

Policymakers need to look at ways to strengthen mental health care. This includes support for individuals with the most severe challenges but must also include support for basic preventative care. It is very difficult these days to find a therapist accepting new patients, let alone one who also accepts insurance. I know because I’ve tried.

Other policy areas impact social connectivity as well. Housing and planning are vital. The more folks can afford to live near where they work, where their kids go to school, and/or where they receive necessary services, the more connected they feel to their community. I will be serving on the new Housing and Economic Development Committee this session and will be looking at ways to help.

The holidays are a joyful time in many ways, but can also be difficult. For me, I have difficulty escaping the melancholy that accompanies all the jingling bells and sparking lights. For many other people, the struggle is more severe, with family crises, substance abuse and financial stress present in our minds, coupled with fewer daylight hours and seasonal depression.

If you or someone you love are in need of extra support this holiday season, know that you are not alone. The NAMI Maine Helpline is available to assist you in finding mental health resources, information and support at 800-464-5767. There is no shame in acknowledging when times are hard and you need help; every once in a while, we all do.

Frank Sinatra had Hugh Martin edit the “muddle through” line of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to something more positive. I wish he hadn’t. Sometimes, muddling through is necessary to persevere and maintain active hope that we can and will see better times. Simply getting by, putting one foot in front of the other, is a noble act.

The more we can help each other do that and support efforts to commit these acts at a larger scale, the better off we will be. To those muddling through this season, I wish you peace, comfort and resolve. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Rep. Marc Malon is serving his second term in the Maine House, representing a portion of Biddeford. He serves as a member of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee and the Housing and Economic Development Committee. He can be reached via email at marc.malon@legislature.maine.gov.