BRIDGET SWEET
Just before Christmas of 1986, I had moved into an apartment building. It was just my oldest son, my daughter and me at that time. We had hardly any furniture since I moved in a moment's notice. I decided to leave everything behind. I just wanted to start fresh with my family. Too many bad things had happened in the old place so I tried to leave all the bad memories behind, which meant leaving all the old stuff It was time to start a new and exciting life. The only things that I brought from the old place were a few bags of clothes for the kids and me, dishes, pots and pans, a few pillows, sheets and blankets. There was only one piece of solid furniture that I brought with me and that was a love seat pull-out couch. That's what we all slept on at night. The place was relatively bare.
With the move, money was so tight that we squeaked. Christmas was coming and I had nothing for my kids. I couldn't afford presents or even Christmas dinner let alone a tree. I had no knowledge of where to go for help since I was in a new neighborhood, and, because Christmas was nearly upon us, there would be nothing left for us as latecomers.
There I was, a young single mother fresh as a newborn in a new dwelling with no money to spend on my two kids for Christmas. I felt like the biggest loser there ever was. I was just no good and I didn't deserve the privilege of being a parent. My kids were so excited about Christmas that all that came out of their mouths was Christmas and what Santa was going to bring them. It killed me little by little as each day got closer.