"Nothing is more important than family."
--My Mom.
NOTE: This entry is extremely long. Please read it anyway. If you're short on time, at least read the beginning and end. Thanks.
I spent much of Christmas afternoon and evening at my parents' house. As dusk turned to night, I stood in their darkened living room, lit only by the lights of their tree, and watched my dad and brother play with my stepkids out in the street, just as he'd played with me when I was a kid.
My mom walked over to me, and after we watched them for a minute she said, "We read your essay."
She didn't have to say anything else. Her tone of voice sent a chill down my arms and the sinking feeling in my stomach told me that something was very, very wrong.
