I felt it the moment my friend looked around my house and said with a playful smile, “You’re the only one I know who hasn’t put up a Christmas tree yet!” And again when a well-meaning neighbor pointed out that we were the only house on the block without strands of lights casting twinkles in the darkness. A quiet dread. A heaviness smothering my soul. It burned like quiet tears when I scrolled through Facebook and noted the steady stream of color-coordinated family pictures fit for a Christmas card. And it hovered like an unwelcome lump in the back of my throat when the well-meaning …
