If You Don’t Cry At This Holiday Ad, Check For A Pulse

While Christmas is more than a month away, a British department store is already reminding us that the approaching holidays aren't full of cheer for many senior citizens, The Independent reports. John Lewis' newly released 2015 advertisement depicts a young girl named Lily attempting to make contact with an old man on the moon. In a moment reminiscent of Pixar's tearfest Up, Lily sends him a telescope hitched to balloons and they can finally see each other for the first time. These eyes are cryin'! The tagline: "Show someone they're loved this Christmas." In recent years, John Lewis' holiday commercials have become an anticipated annual tradition, akin to Super Bowl ads. The sentimentality of this year's spot strikes a pitch-perfect chord; AdWeek even dubbed it the "Ad of the Week." All the while, it speaks to a real-world issue of elder loneliness during the holidays. According to the organization Age U.K., with which John Lewis partnered for the spot, 60% of seniors over 65 don't expect glad tidings or a happy New Year due to deceased spouses, family, and friends, as well as mobility limitations. But of course, we don't have to wait until Christmas to show the grandparents and older people in our lives that we care. That kind of love is available to us year-round.