Coal in my Stocking, Stars in the Sky

From the outside looking in — growing up in an Evangelical Appalachian family, Christmas was a glittering, wholesome portrait of family togetherness. The reality couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Content warning: This true story contains descriptions of serious child abuse, dysfunctional parenting and domestic issues. Reader discretion advised for anyone sensitive to these topics.

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Winters in east Tennessee have a particular kind of cold to them, sometimes bringing snow and blanketing the ridges and valleys in white before Christmas.

Photo by Fabian Mardi on Unsplash

Our home was a place of emotional chaos, constant conflict and tension. Both parents engaged in relentless verbal and emotional abuse, their screams echoing through the halls as regularly as footsteps. Physical punishment was a constant, with beatings and spankings as an everyday…