Davis oversees bereavement counseling as president and CEO of Capital Caring, an Arlington-based hospice provider, and one of the oldest and largest such organizations in the United States. The holidays are about celebrating — so why do we get weepy?

At heart, we’re very connecting to our roots, our family, at this time of the year. The holidays remind us of a time when life wasn’t so complicated, when material things didn’t mean so much. It’s about being together, enjoying good food. So I think part of us really longs for those times, and the people who made us who we are. My dad had seven siblings who didn’t have children, so they played a big part in raising me. My dad’s been gone now 10 years, and all his siblings are gone, and at this time of year I really think about them and how much fun it was to be with them.