It seemed destined to fail from the start. My three young adult kids decided to start a new tradition. Rather than purchasing ready-made, they wanted to make Christmas gifts for each family member. None of them lived here. They were all busy with college finals and new jobs right up until they … [Read more...] about When Christmas Feels Like a Catastrophe
Christmas
Tweaking Tradition, Part 1
Tradition is not a neutral word. Like college football, or Jesus, or anything political, it evokes a strong emotion, reflecting how traditions have played out in our lives. I, too, have had a love-hate relationship with traditions over the past few years. The following article was first … [Read more...] about Tweaking Tradition, Part 1
Rushing Joy
Confession: Black Friday, Small-Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are all in the books for this year. And my Christmas tree still isn’t up. This is primarily due to my new normal with heart failure. I used to spend weeks decorating, including three trees and a ridiculous number of seasonal … [Read more...] about Rushing Joy