When Christmas isn't 'The Most Wonderful Time of the Year'
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.' (Matthew 11:28) Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! Only it’s not. Not for everyone. Not when he’s still away at war. Not when her body is racked with illness. Not when there’s an empty chair at the table. Not when you still feel alone in a crowd. Not when you’re wishing he hadn't cheated. Conventional wisdom says Christmas is the time when we express our deepest affections to the ones deserving. But this inevitably forces us to remember the ones we don’t get to share the moment with – the ones who've passed away, moved, or broken our hearts. And heartbreak, distance, and death (either the death of a loved one or the death of something that was once good in our lives) are reasons that keep us from experiencing peace this Christmas. And if this year this is you, I am truly sorry for your pa...