By Jaime Herndon

Being far away from family and other loved ones can be hard, especially during the holidays. It can feel like we're missing out on new holiday memories. Even if we've chosen to take a holiday vacation, we can still feel badly that we're not they with nieces and nephews on Christmas Day.

Don’t despair. There are many ways to stay connected from afar.

If both of you have iPhones, there’s FaceTime. Or, use the Skype app on your devices to connect. Say grace before a meal together, watch them open your present, or “share” a dessert with them this way!

Or, over Skype, share an activity like reading their favorite holiday season book to the little ones. For older nieces and nephews, agree on a movie to watch that’s on television at a certain time, or that you download together on Netflix or Amazon Prime, and chat about it while online or on the phone during commercials. Or, do a “holiday book club” and read the same book to discuss when you're done. This is a great way to get into a book series a niece or nephew is really into.

Finally, for older nieces and nephews, ask them to take photos for you and share them with you each day you're not there for the holidays! It connects them with a project to think of you and stay connected with you.

So don't worry, Auntie, you can share in holiday activities together, no matter the distance.

AUNTIE UP! How do you stay connect from a distance?

Photo: Kaspars Grinvalds
Originally Published: December 24, 2014
Republished: December 15, 2015