For Athena, the magic of the season is inextricably tied to childhood. As wondrous as it can be, however, it’s also a period of high pressure. As a mother of three, she wants to pass along the miraculous spirit of the holiday. The only trouble is that, by the final month of the year, there…

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Athena and her husband moved from Southern California to North Texas in anticipation of their second son. Five years later, another baby threw the balance out again. For this family, Christmas often looms on the horizon instead of beckoning. But just when it looks like the magic is gone — right when the holiday stress…

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It’s always the little things that get us. An old note. A long-lost toy. A single rose. The smallest expressions of love and humanity often carry the greatest weight because they cut through the haze and confusion of emotion and strike a resonant chord inside of us. Sometimes, a note is not just a note;…

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BEAR CREEK CEMETERY — It’s a standard Spring afternoon in North Texas. Birdsongs fill the air and a gentle breeze is the only thing standing between the pleasant sun and an uncomfortably warm afternoon. Just days after the Easter holiday, tucked away in a quiet grove off Highway 360, a contingent of Christians are still…

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One of the most inescapable facts of life is that it refuses to be predictable. As carefully orchestrated and wondrous as our world is, it has a knack for throwing curveballs at the foolish few who think we can control it. In fact, the ability to adapt and respond to adversity is one of the key traits of…

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