Christmas and the holiday season in general has always been a bit bittersweet to me and today is the day that I find myself most reflective about it. I normally don't really talk about it, because the events that make the holidays that way feel almost as though they belong to someone else entirely. I was a completely different Juliet Hart twelve years ago than I am now. I've made choices that I'm not proud of, but have also had accomplishments that I can barely believe I can attribute to myself. And while I know now, in retrospect, that my life would turn out just as it was meant to turn out, it doesn't erase the fear and heartache that I felt twelve years ago when my parents abandoned me because I had made a choice that they disagreed with.
Since then, I have spent all but five months of those twelve years as a parent. When I look at my daughter, I cannot even begin to fathom a universe where I would be willing to sever all ties with her, no matter what sort of situation she may have gotten herself into. I also can't even fathom a pair of grandparents being willing to sacrifice a relationship with her because they didn't like the circumstances of her birth, despite the evidence being right there. It just [...] boggles my mind.
[...] Anyway. Like I said, I don't talk about all of this much, because I try not to dwell but it's been hard not to think about it this year. So to all you parents out there, do me a favor and hold your kids a little closer tonight and tell them that you love them one time too many, for me.