111 Comments

Just magical 🙏

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What a delightful story. So glad you shared it.

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What a tender memory. I can’t imagine, having never had to cope with that loss, but I did lose a young husband very near Christmas in 1968 when I had two little girls. And Santa did come to our house that year with a puppy. How grateful I was!

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Thank you for sharing those special moments. I look forward to your articles. I treasure them

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This brought a flood of my own memories as a single mother with two little girls. Those were hard years.

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Connie, thank you so much for your kind, beautiful, and wise words and message.

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Beautiful story, Connie! My dad was an industrial machinery salesman and a Mason, so he had a network of friends and acquaintances - and through circumstances, even as a child I had met many of them. Christmas was special because Daddy would reach for the phone on a Saturday morning and place a call. Daddy wouldn't speak, he simply dialed the phone, then handed it to me or my sister. On the other end of the line was Santa Claus. He asked if he was speaking to Lynn or Nancy, (he knew our names!) and would ask about our cats, whether we had been good, and what we wanted for Christmas. I have always been very good with recognizing voices and this was a voice I only heard once a year, not one of my uncles or my dad's friends that I had met at the Masonic Temple when I would go down there for lunch with dad, or one of dad's coworkers I had met. This was a yearly occurrence until we were old enough to understand that Santa was in our hearts and families. When dad was elderly and sick I asked him (again) who it was that he called every year. His answer, as always, with a smile, was "Santa Claus, of course!" That's the only answer I ever received - and I'm glad for that.

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OMG I love this. I teared up toward the end there. What a great Santa. But I really loved the line "It's hard to see a path forward with your eyes squeezed shut." Best wishes to you and Senator Brown for a happy new year.

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Merry Christmas. From another single mom of way back when, thank you for sharing and reminding us how far we have come

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God bless you Connie Schultz.

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You are a gift to all of us, all year round.

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Oh, Connie. When I read this line..."when it seemed everyone around me had made better choices and was happier than I was". That just broke my heart.

You made choices for you that were the best you could do in the moment, at that particular time. I wish I could hug single mother you and tell her that she was enough. That she was doing the best she could in the moment she was in. Hugs to you and all single mothers out there. I am one now because a divorce was my best option at this moment in time. It's uncomfortable and a little weird but I am transparent with my girls who are adults now. Life is hard but we need to find the folks that support us and help us through the tough times, which you have done. Glad you found Sherrod and have your wonderful puppers. Thank you for writing and sharing your thoughts.

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Thank you for this. This is one of my Christmases with 'firsts'. Thanks for the warmth through some hard moments. Merry Christmas.

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Thank you

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Have a wonderful Christmas!

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“… may the season land gently.” Oh my heart. Those are such gentle words.

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