I expect it’s going to prove a difficult holiday in the Challies home. Christmas is usually our favorite day of the year—one of the few holidays for which we’ve developed distinct family traditions. We get up early so the kids can sort through the trinkets in their stockings; then we pause for a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and croissants; then we open gifts; then we relax for a while before beginning to prepare a feast. We’ve developed this tradition over 22 years of marriage and nearly 21 years of parenting. We look forward to it every time it rolls around. But this year, of course, one of us will be missing. There will be 2 stockings by the fire, not 3; there will be 4 places at the table, not 5.
Since my son died, I’ve been told to expect that some of the hardest times will be the “firsts”—the first time back at church, the first March 5 (his birthday), the first May 8 (the day he was to be married), and yes, the first Christmas. That day is bound to be marked by both joy and sorrow, both celebration and grief. It will be a
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
