My First Alaskan Christmas With My Son

32 years ago, I celebrated my first Christmas with my three month old son. The divorce with his father would be final at the end of the month and I had doubts about my ability to raise a son alone. Childbirth and divorce, all in the same year! I'd agonized about what I'd done wrong for everything to end like this, and for a while even made attempts to try to make things right Then a friend came by and encouraged me. She told me that help was available and reassured me that everything would be ok. She was a public health nurse making a home visit to a baby who had been at risk at birth, but was on his way to becoming thriving and active. I realized there were worse things than raising a child as a single parent and put my heart and soul into being a good mom. We were living in a coastal town in Alaska then, and the outpouring of warmth and encouragement has stayed in my mind ever since. That Christmas, my baby and I watched a boat parade from our living room, and had an open house for all my friends at which there was laughter, good food, fellowship, and yes, Christmas lights! When we visited friends on Christoff Island and opened presents I realized that I could make it as long as I had the support of friends.