Family Christmas dinners are either the event you most look forward to OR the event that you are wholeheartedly dreading every day of the year until December, by which time you accept your fate. One daughter-in-law, who for the sake of this story, we will call OP, feared the latter, as she was no longer with her spouse, and did not take a liking to his family at all. The mother-in-law, who we will call Karen, liked to scowl, drink, complain, and do things her way. She never went out of her way…

There's this growing sentiment in modern parenting that we should never lie to our children, that, if we do, they may one day grow up to resent us for giving them an unrealistic view of the world. Maybe, just maybe, that desire for a more realistic and grounded approach stems from the fact that we were raised being told that we could be whatever, whoever, and wherever we wanted to be when the reality is that all of those things cost money and if you don't have enough money to go, be and do ever…

Good deeds are a dime a dozen, but this school really gave it its all so that kids would get great Christmas gifts from their parents who did not have a lot of money. Unfortunately, along comes a Grinch, today known as a Karen, and has to ruin it for everyone. In this case, many Karens. Let's start at the beginning… One school used to organize a toy store for families in need, and this store would be stocked to the brim with all kinds of donations. The parents could shop there and get new toys…

Everyone has those unfortunate moments during childhood when you learn something isn't true. For many kids, it's the discovery that a heavy bearded fellow in a red suit doesn't dive down everyone's chimneys annually to give gifts. It's one of those fantasies that you wonder in hindsight how you believed that nonsense in the first place. Well, while we speak a lot about kids becoming disillusioned, no one ever really talks about the upsetting discoveries you have during adulthood. We're talking…

Santa Claus as a figure, as a story, and as a concept is downright creepy, Sure, they try to make him seem cute with his jolly voice and his rosy cheeks, but deep down, Santa is a home invader with a child obsession and it's just weird that everyone ignores those two facts.

Sometimes things don't register in your brain right away, you know? Like, you look at something and you think it's just an innocent little knick-knack that'll add some good vibes to your home. Then you bring it back, set it up, and someone else sees it and it turns out it looks like some vulgar thing that you can never unsee now. Yeah, well that's been happening with Christmas decorations since the invention of them. A tropical town might think it's a good idea to put Christmas lights up on the…

'Tis the season!

Santa has seen better days.

Happy holidays to everyone.

Got to be a true believer.

Maybe Santa wanted out.

Ah, the lost art.

Keeping the magic alive!