Everyone’s so busy, especially during the holidays. We prepare big meals, bake cookies and shop till we drop. This, of course, is in addition to our regular everyday duties—going to work, paying the bills, cleaning the house, etc.

But, the nice part about holiday hustle—the thing that sets it apart from the frenzy that overwhelms us the rest of the year—is that the rewards are more meaningful and we reap them a little bit more immediately. That’s because the holidays are about gathering with friends and family and building on the relationships that give us the strength we need to carry on through chaos.

Why else would we risk life and limb to string lights on our second-story windows if not to symbolize the importance of closeness and camaraderie? Trust me, Santa doesn’t need a beacon to find his way to my house. Rather, it’s the people inside who need the signal, the inspirational reminder, that this is a special time—one worthy and in need of illumination.

Personal bonds are important. They’re everything, really. Nonetheless, most of us neglect to tend to them regularly. The holidays are sometimes an embarrassing reminder of this—at least for me. The last time I reached out to most of the people on my Christmas card list was . . . well . . . last Christmas. And, because of this, I don’t get all I can out of the holiday season. For me—and, I presume, for many of you—most of the time during my festive fêtes is spent reconnecting, rather than strengthening or building upon the deeply important connections I’ve already made. Think of how much more meaningful your celebrations would be if you didn’t have to spend all of your time simply catching up.

There’s really no excuse for it, especially since social networking sites, designed to solve such crises of conscience, exploded on the scene. Facebook, in particular, is a fabulous way to keep up with colleagues, family and friends year round. The site now has 300 million active users, and 100 million of them signed up in the past five months alone! It’s staggering. Without question, the world is starving for the type of community and connection that Facebook and its competitors can deliver.

For this reason, we thought the holiday season was the prime time to roll out Review’s new Facebook page and Twitter account. It’s our New Year’s resolution to get connected and, more importantly, to stay connected to you throughout the year.

Happy Holidays!