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"Last night my daughter cried herself to sleep. She couldn't understand why her Jehovah's Witness mom refused to come to the Christmas recital for which she had practiced so hard. Her hours of sobbing marked the cold reality that the holiday season, for our family, is the worst, and not best of times. For us, it's a dangerous flashpoint for religious, cultural and family differences. Fingers point. Tempers flare. Voices raise in anger. Sarcasm wields its deadly sword. It may take weeks, months and even as long as a year for my wounds to heal. I wonder how hard it is for my kids. I'll never forget the panic in their faces the year their mom left for a motel because she couldn't stand the smell of the Christmas tree. I'll always remember how their eyes fill with tears as their mother and I argue over what she terms "pagan" practices. Each year there'll be scuffles over the wasted time and money spent on gifts. Christmas cards will be left unopened, school projects tossed in the trash, school plays and pageants only single parent attended. Even though mom will be invited down for the early morning opening of presents, her chair will stay empty and her stack will stand untouched as a monument to her deliberate non-involvement. Over the past several years since my wife has rejected her Faith for the promise of "paradise earth", a lot of edges have been dulled. Flare-ups have lessened. I've found the courage to hold my tongue, bite my lip, walk away from provocation, and even get her involved with gift decisions. But the division, stress and tension are still there. Our religious détente records more border skirmishes at this time of the year than any other. Our kids suffer more causalities and remain helpless refugees in a cold war that never seems to end. So while all of you husbands, wives and children gather at your family tables, share your holiday cheer and join your hands for family grace, remember those of us who must join hands in a broken chain. We broken hearted need your prayers now more than ever. Please don't forget us faithful in the trenches." --Rick Sikorski, GCI P.S. If you happen to be where we are, and would like to talk, we'll be happy to share your pain and do what we can to help you survive...even if it's only providing a empathetic ear or a shoulder to cry on. We mean it. E-mail us any time: comments@goodcathinfo.com
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