Loneliness isn't reserved for the older generation but it does seem to affect them more than most.  We all enjoy "alone time," our solitude, our own space.  But being alone and loneliness are not the same thing.  Loneliness is unpleasant.  It can bring about feelings of sadness.  It is hard to focus when you are lonely, and it can cause depression, and unhappiness.  It boils down to thins... people need people.  Especially during the winter months, and holiday season.  The circumstances for many people who are sixty-something, maybe retired, maybe single, are sometimes a perfect petri dish for cultivating loneliness.  The trick it to not let it take over your life.  Listen to "Wintertime, Christmas and Loneliness" and learn what you can do to enjoy the holidays avoid being lonely.