My mother died 6 years ago, leaving my only family left to be my husband & daughter.

I left my husband 3 years ago after I sold my Mothers home & bought a farm across the country from where I was living. I tried to bring my husband to my farm the first Christmas & had my daughter visit here for a few days from her home in Colorado that first Christmas. Several weeks later, I kicked my husband out & back to California & have had nothing to do with him since then.

I have so many wonderful friends that I have come to know here considering I didn't know anyone when I moved here. This is really the first Christmas that I have truly enjoyed & have been involved in so many of the community activities.....along with the new church that I have started going to who have accepted me as part of them. I have never had a better Christmas in all my life.....no family is definitely a good thing.

The trauma that I went through with the home care person & my Mother who was dying of cancer at Christmas just 6 years ago, leaves Christmas time with many bad memories that I have been finally been able to start working through them & being able to enjoy Christmas again.

Christmas for me has always been about the birth of Christ & church activities even growing up. Family was always small because both my parents were only children & so was I.....no family gettogethers except for close family & my parents didn't have any friends. Not much conflict every occured around Christmas, so it's always had wonderful memories until my Mothers death.

Definitely enjoyed this Christmas with NO family, just the wonderful special friends that I have come to know over these last few years.