“I need to make the holidays perfect for my family.” This was my belief for many, many years. Every gift. Every meal. Every decoration. Every interaction. Everything had to be perfect. After all, that was my job, wasn’t it? To ensure an extraordinary holiday season for everyone else.
Did someone hurt you? Have your dreams been crushed? Were you on the track to the perfect fairy tale life until your world fell apart? Don’t let this “plot twist” become your new life story.
I wanted to get a divorce. But, I told myself it would ruin my kids’ lives. I couldn’t afford it. My family would think I was a failure. Everyone would judge me. My husband would make my life a living hell if I left. I wanted to change careers and do what I loved instead…
Our children shed their childhood in layers, so quickly, so subtly, that we hardly notice it’s happening. We turn away, and try not to look at these hard, cold facts of reality, busying ourselves with the daily routines of life: laundry, cooking and errands. But if we look deeply, we can see that we are…