Hope for the Hard Holidays
Guest Post for Deeply Rooted Magazine By Kara Ranck PC: Unsplash “It’s the most wonderful time of the year! There'll be much mistltoeing, and hearts will be glowing when loved ones are near… ” proclaims the famous Christmas song by Andy Williams. But are those words true of your holiday? Stop for a minute and picture your favorite Christmas memory from childhood. For many of us, our childhood memories of Christmas appear magical. This was back before we understood that carols might be drowning out intense adult conversations, or that twinkling lights blinded us to the angry looks passed between relatives. Back before we knew the realities of life in a fallen world with fallen people—even during “the most wonderful time of the year.” We desperately long to go back to those magical memories, because we know now holidays can be hard. Many of us try to replicate those past enchanted celebrations for our own family and children, but end up feeling like we fail simply...