The Claudia Brown

Nine years ago, we celebrated our first Christmas Eve as a family of three.

It felt too overwhelming to get our massive Christmas tree from the attic crawl space, so I purchased a one-foot lit tree from Valley View Farms which we blinged out with ornaments. We continued other family traditions, such as Chinese food on Christmas Eve — opting to mix it up by dining in instead of having our regular take-out (less mess)!

Becoming a single mom had definitely made me more practical!

Posing for this pic in the Chinese restaurant, I ignored the pit in my stomach and the tears that wanted to flow. Everywhere I looked, I saw couples and families with two parents. I was heartbroken for my own children and our broken family.

Those feelings lingered until the middle of the night, as I wrapped all the kids’ presents by myself — for the first time — and arranged them so carefully around our tiny tree.

Nine years ago, every day was such an effort — and the Christmas holiday was the biggest test yet.

However, my children’s smiling faces and squeals of delight on Christmas morning showed me I had passed the test with flying colors!

In the hardest year of my life, I learned a powerful lesson: take one day at a time.

It can be so easy to become consumed by what has been lost instead of appreciating what we have. My children are the greatest blessings!

Merry Christmas Eve!