An Empty Nest At Christmas Isn’t As Easy As It Sounds

I have a confession to make. When my children were young, I dreaded the holidays.

This is not kind of me to say, and it doesn’t match anyone’s version of an idyllic Hallmark experience. But our family Christmas tradition involved three large celebrations in three different cities in less than 24 hours. It was a marathon of drinking, celebrating, eating, driving, and unwrapping that always left me feeling exhausted, overly stimulated, and overly stuffed.

So when my children became old enough...