The power of the Internet to connect individuals was once again shown when a single mum used Craigslist to find dinner companions for herself and her son to celebrate Christmas with.

Thirty year old Autumn Mazzitelli posted on the classifieds site a mere three days ago asking for individuals or families to invite her and her son into their home for Christmas dinner.  Here is an extract of her advertisement:

‘Have you always wanted a daughter and grandson? Do you have a daughter and/or grandson but they live too far away to return for Christmas this year? Do you miss the pitter patter of little feet and adorably mispronounced words of a three year old boy? Do you need a hand with dishes after sharing Christmas dinner with a (slightly?) eccentric 30 year old single mother?

If you’ve answered yes to any of the above questions, look no further, you’ve found the perfect solution!’

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Not wanting to celebrate Christmas alone with her son, Autumn says she felt compelled to reach out to others.  In an interview with globalnews.ca, Autumn explained further, “I wanted to eat with people, even if I did not know them,” she says. “I was going to actively choose not to be alone.”

The response has been overwhelming – just over 300 replies with invitations asking Autumn to join Christmas celebrations from as far away as the Netherlands, Turkey and New Zealand.

“I have not exactly been dealt an easy hand in life,” said Autumn, “But I have always been ok because of my outlook and the fact that I always reached out when I needed someone. I don’t really believe in being lonely. We live on a planet with seven billion people. How can we be lonely? We can only be lonely if we choose to be alone.”

Merry Christmas Autumn!  We hope you and your son have a wonderful time at whoever’s home you choose to attend!

Main image courtesy of AWW