It's a time for mistletoe, favorite holiday tunes, Christmas trees and family togetherness. More than any other time of year, the holiday season ushers in communal joy.
People focus on giving and unity, hoping to overlook the year's challenges.
Despite the joys that are part of the season, the holiday spirit is changed when a family is forced to face the death of a loved one. Click graphic to donate online. Her sister died in April, leaving her to care for her sister's four children. The writer said she has held a job at a local convenience store for less than a month, hoping to defray the cost of the children's needs. She wrote that other family members shied away from taking in all four of the children.