• Christmas decorations light up a yard at night. Two wire snowmen wear top hats and red scarves with red, blue, and green open-designed Christmas trees behind them.
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    The crash is so loud; I hear it above the buzz of my kids’ electric toothbrushes.  My five-year-old Sasha gasps, sending white spittle flying in every direction. “Santa only comes if we’re asleep. Everyone, hurry!” She flings her Spider Gwen toothbrush at the mirror and runs to her bedroom. We haven’t read ‘Twas the Night Before ...
  • Wooden and Lace Christmas Angel Ornament with a red sparkly fabric in the background
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    The sugar bowl was reduced to this: two dollars and thirty-six cents. A year of high rents, bills, and groceries ravaged this reservoir of money, until today, the twenty-third of December. Miranda replaced the lid and sat at the kitchen chair, dejected. She covered her face with hands warmed by a cup of tea to ...
  • Christmas table set with wine glass, plates, and cookies
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    Each Christmas, I anticipate spending quality time with people whose lives have touched mine through traditions. From decorating the house, baking cookies and pies, to cooking meals, I sense my dead relatives whispering words of encouragement. Not only do I look forward to it, but I believe they do, too. The creativity of placing ornaments ...
  • The head of a dog covered in snow
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    TheOld YearIs finished.She closed her eyesAnd wrapped herself inA robe of ice and wind.As she dreamed of renewal,We shivered in the frigid nightAnd cried out for the warmth of the sun. Editor: Michelle Naragon & Shannon Hensley  
  • A woman in a gray knit sweater sitting with dim lighting at their desk writing in a notebook.
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    Confidence in my writing ability has been hard to come by. The power of my pen served as a primary source of expression. I’ve received positive feedback about my work from family and friends, but none has stuck. No matter how much they praised me, I still couldn’t find the enthusiasm to say, out loud, ...
  • Blurred led lights that read "Merry Christmas"
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    “Ugh…” My ears buzzed, louder and louder. A headache joined it and amplified the pain tingling through my body. My neck, arms, back, and legs all ached. Pain pulsed through me. That was good, though. Pain brought me closer to reality. I tried to move, but that made everything hurt more. I growled with discomfort, ...
  • Snow-covered street
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    The white blanket of snow covers the earth. Nostalgic smells of pine trees seep through windows. The season we anticipate draws close. Have we been naughty, or good? Can we count the smiles of those we’ve touched, Or do we use the days left to do more? Editor: Erynn Crittenden
  • A street blanketed with snow between two buildings and one tree. A single bundled up person is shown.
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    Lacey was as excited as a child on Christmas morning. New York City was a fluffy winter scene. The first snowfall of the season in Manhattan brought the outside world to a dead stop. The streets were lined with kids playing and adults shoveling sidewalks. Quiet fell on the normal bustle of the Big Apple. ...
  • piano keys with a page of sheet music sitting on top
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    Christmas music is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. I have a strong emotional reaction to music. Lyrics speak to me in ways nothing else can. So, it is no surprise Mark Schultz singing “Different Kind of Christmas” opens the floodgates of my emotions every time I listen to it. It is ...
  • hanging Christmas lights
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    “Have yourself a merry little Christmas…” A local children’s choir sings cheerfully, but I hardly notice the music. I don’t even know why I came out tonight. My therapist recommended leaving my apartment at least once a week to socialize. The only problem is I never talk to anyone during these “social outings.” “Man, I ...