Redefining the Holidays After Painful Experiences

I used to find the Christmas season incredibly challenging. Two profoundly traumatic and life-altering events occurred during this time in my childhood, leaving lasting scars. Adding to that, my fundamentalist Christian upbringing made navigating the holiday season as an adult both confusing and painful. When I began deconstructing much of the faith I grew up with, I often felt isolated and emotionally unsettled during Christmas. I felt out of place at family gatherings, unsure of how to be myself when I didn’t even know who I was.