By Morgan Cruz
This Christmas looks nothing like last year’s. In a strange way, that’s exactly why it feels more meaningful. I don’t have the words to say what this family program means to me and how much everyone has impacted my life, but I have no doubt that it saved my family.
Before landing at Interfaith Sanctuary, my family had everything society tells you equals happiness: a beautiful home, a dream job, stability, and savings. Life looked perfect from the outside. And we were happy… enough.
It wasn’t until everything fell apart and I found myself standing in the middle of the street at night with nothing but the clothes I was wearing and a backpack of recovery books that I realized how surface-level that version of happiness had been. Losing everything, forced me to look inward. Stripped down to nothing. I discovered a connection with my higher power…and with myself.
Now, Christmas isn’t about recreating what we used to have. It’s about teaching my sons a deeper truth: even when we don’t have much, we still have more than some, and we can choose to share what we do have.
We may be in a temporary space, but it’s warm, safe, and filled with love. We decorate with simple things like lights and stockings. We slow down. We talk. We laugh. We show up for each other. We repeat an affirmation every morning: “Strong Smart. Heart.” That’s the kind of magic that can’t be bought.
We’re not where we’ll be forever, but we’re exactly where we need to be right now. We’re building something real, grounded and lasting. This Christmas reminds me that joy isn’t found in perfection; it’s found in presence, gratitude and community. And that’s a gift I’ll carry long after we leave these doors.