This has been a hard Christmas for me. I have heard from enough survivors to know that the holidays can be a nightmare. It always brings up memories or emotions associated with the horrific rituals they were subjected to during these times. I have heard from enough survivors to know that the ritual that takes place during Christmas involves the sacrifice of a fetus/infant representing the Christ child. I had a survivor very concerned when she heard that my niece was turning 13. She said that 13 is when they impregnate girls and sacrifice the fetus. It had happened to her. My niece will be 15 now.
I am not a survivor in the same way. I do not have these memories, and so I don’t always consider myself to be a survivor. The knowledge that my family, my niece, is still trapped in this nightmare is sometimes more than I can bare. I am beginning to share the feelings of some survivors around the holidays, if only survivors guilt. They, we, have a hard time responding to wishes of “Merry Christmas” without wanting to scream, “Wake up! Christmas is anything but Merry! Christmas is a nightmare! It will never be Merry until it is Merry for everyone!” Or something to that affect. I would prefer to be happy and wish joy and good tidings during the holidays, but it’s hard to feel left out of the joy and good tidings. It’s hard to be so aware of suffering. I look forward to a Christmas when everyone is assured that they and their loved ones are safe, loved and comfortable.