THIS HAPPENED⎟PERSONAL ESSAY

This Call From My Son Was the Last I Expected to Ever Receive

Holidays are times like any other when we need to respect that not everyone is celebrating the best of times

Natalie
4 min readDec 16, 2023

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He couldn’t talk. He was bawling — uncontrollably.

“Baby — tell me, what’s the matter?”

My mind immediately rushed to all the problems college students typically have — desperately trying to put my finger on what could have him so distraught.

But I could never have foreseen what he was about to tell me.

Three days ago, I sat in the quiet of the night staring at the bright lights of my Christmas tree. The carols carried me to another place and time as they typically do. My heart was light. The holidays are near. Soon my elder two sons will be home.

I crafted a few lines in my head of a story I wish to write. Lately, tasks to be completed have turned into bowling balls tossing my ideas and thoughts into great disarray.

I have been unable to write. It’s the holidays though! Can’t I come up with one feel-good story to revisit?

Then another day went by, and my world fell into a darkness I had not experienced. And yet —…

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Natalie

Wife, mother, teacher, people/music lover and writer: sharing bits of her soul one story at a time.